Gardenia and Glasorden
by RickyPWhoWrites
Summary: In this original story by Cherubi from the Eterna Gym, Gardenia finds love. Gardenia/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is my friend Cherubi's story that I am posting here. So...**

**DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.**

**CHAPTER I**

* * *

It was a nice day in Farlig Town, a small Norwegian-speaking town where pretty much nothing happened. As such, when something did happen, the whole town was there to see it.  
And on this particular day, something did happen.  
Everyone in the town was gathered at the clinic. They were eager to the boiling point with anticipation as the woman in the doctor's office screamed and struggled. After a while of this, the Chansey who happened to be on staff at the time reached over and delivered the baby from the screaming woman. She handed the baby to the doctor, who was flush with excitement.  
"It's a boy!" the doctor proclaimed.  
The lucky couple almost skipped all the way back to their house, where they found Machop flexing his mighty muscles and Mr. Mime busily dusting off a window curtain. The family got along very well with their Pokémon, and the baby's father was looking forward to teaching his son to share that same love. The parents began to ponder as they watched their first born wobble around.  
The mother was the first to pop the question: "What should we name him?"  
Naturally, the baby's parents thought and thought. Naming a baby is a very important part of parenting, and it proved to be especially difficult in this case. But the baby's mother remembered the beauty of a good winter snow, with the slush and the solid ice that always made the ponds and lakes look so beautiful. It was like a paradise away from summer. After that, it didn't take her long to decide what the baby's name should be.  
"I've got it, honey! Why don't we name him Glasorden?"  
The father thought, and before long, he decided that Glasorden would indeed be a good name for his son. So that's what his name was. Excited about picking a good name for their baby boy, they placed the cards and ribbon that they got from the townspeople on their fireplace. They wondered what the future held for their pride and joy. Little did they know of the grand adventures that he would embark on as a skilled Pokémon Trainer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclamer: All rights belong to Satoshi Tajiri etc.**

* * *

CHAPTER II

It was a fine morning in Farlig Town. Glasorden was getting ready for his first day at school. As Mr. Mime helped his mother get his things ready, he wondered what school was like and what the new things were that he would discover. Were the people nice there? Perhaps he would even meet new creatures as mysterious and intriguing as Machop and Mr. Mime.  
Since it was Glasorden's first day, his dad walked him the short distance to the front door. After that, he waved his son good-bye and Glasorden walked down the hallway to his first classroom. On the way there, he couldn't help but notice a large picture hanging on the wall. The setting appeared to be a battle arena, and at the center of the picture was a young blonde-haired woman in a purple dress. Next to the woman was a Gengar. On her other side was a young man who appeared to be holding a Pokédex. They looked like they could be brother and sister. Next to the man was a redhead girl. She looked cute. They all seemed pretty happy.  
"Come on, Glasorden! You're going to be late for class!"  
The kind lady took Glasorden by the arm and led him to his seat. He found out that school wasn't bad at all-the teacher talked about counting and showed the students pictures of Pokémon. Glasorden would try to imitate the pictures with his paper and pencil before the teacher demanded his attention. She also mentioned something called English. Glasorden wondered what English was and what it was good for.  
It was soon time for lunch. The students got their food from the counter before sitting down. Glasorden sat down and was about to dig in when a girl next to him interrupted him.  
"Hi! This was the last seat open. Is it okay if I sit here?"  
"Yes," Glasorden replied.  
"You seem nice. What's your name?"  
"Glasorden."  
"Nice to meet you. I'm Julia."  
"Hey, Julia! Those were some cool pictures, weren't they?"  
"Yes, they look like those Pokémon that my mom talks about all the time."  
"I want to know about Pokémon!" Glasorden said.  
And sure enough, Glasorden ran back home after school, and his parents didn't have time to say anything before he shouted, "Teach me about Pokémon!" His dad pulled him aside. "Pokémon are a whole bunch of wonderful creatures who are our friends. See Machop over there?" He pointed to Machop, who was bench-pressing the couch. "Machop is a Pokémon, and so is Mr. Mime. I bet you there are Pokémon on TV right now." The two of them looked at what the mother was watching. It was her favorite gardening show. The man on TV was talking about potted perennials, but Glasorden wasn't even listening to a word he said. He looked at the Sunkern, Sunflora, and Roselia who inhabited the garden. There was a reddish blonde girl about Glasorden's age who could be seen watering the flowers, but Glasorden was too excited to notice. He couldn't believe all the stuff he had to tell his friends at school.

The years went by. Glasorden was really interested in whatever was said about Pokémon, and he learned best when something was presented in terms of Pokémon-for example, he learned to multiply numbers through battle multipliers. He enjoyed learning about the many different species and the seventeen different types. He soon learned the whole type weakness and resistance chart by heart, and he impressed his friends by recalling from memory the fact that Psychic decimates Crobat, and Megahorn is not very effective on Gastly. His friends asked him for help with "What do I do if..." battle scenarios. One day, Julia told him, "The other students like you so much, they think you can beat a Magneton with a Magikarp!" In fact, Glasorden's development was as rapid as Magikarp evolving into Gyarados.  
After these events, Glasorden was still a child, but he seemed more mature. One day, his father decided to take him for a walk. It was cold outside, but the two of them were used to it. Glasorden's father said, "You won't believe how many different species you can find just walking around like this."  
A Swinub appeared right in front of them just after he said that. Although Glasorden knew a lot about Pokémon, he never met one in the wild before, so when Swinub approached him, he was scared. His dad told him not to worry. He said, "Most Pokémon you meet in the wild are harmless."  
Sure enough, Swinub came up and sniffed Glasorden with his nubbed nose. Swinub decided that there was something to be liked about this person and started investigating his feet.  
"I think you just met your first Pokémon," Glasorden's dad said. Then he handed his son one of his spare Poké Balls. "Throw it at Swinub," he whispered.  
With an air of confidence, the young Trainer-to-be threw his first Poké Ball. Swinub put up no resistance to being caught. After the successful capture, they walked a little more and then went home. Glasorden was happier than ever because he was finally a Pokémon Trainer.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.**

* * *

CHAPTER III

As a new Pokémon Trainer, there was still one thing that Glasorden needed before going on any adventures. His dad gave him a Ball Belt. He looked at the belt with excitement before attaching it to his waist and sliding Swinub's Poké Ball into one of the holes. His parents couldn't believe that he was ready to be a man now, and they didn't want to say good-bye, but what has to be done has to be done. Glasorden decided that he had to do one more thing before he set out for adventure. He walked over to Julia's house and knocked. A kind man greeted him at the door. Julia appeared and said, "Daddy, this is Glasorden! He's that smart boy I've been telling you about!"

Julia's dad said, "Yes, I have heard much about you." Glasorden replied, "I came to tell Julia good-bye."  
Julia asked, "Good-bye? Why, Glasorden?" Glasorden explained that he was going on a grand adventure with Pokémon. Julia said, "I wish I could go on an adventure, but I just have too much to do here. I wish you well on your adventure, and I hope that you don't forget about me!" Glasorden wondered how he could possibly forget about his best friend from school.

And so Glasorden entered the harsh world outside Farlig Town. He quickly discovered how useful his English skills were. He won battles and lost battles, but he didn't fail to impress wherever he went. He lost a battle against a powerful bespectacled redhead at one point. He was amazed at how close she was to her Pokémon. She liked something about the young Glasorden, though, and she sent him off one Pokémon richer. When he opened the Poké Ball, he was quite surprised when Lapras appeared! He didn't know what the woman saw in him, but it must've been very special. He found a Snover later on-it didn't want to be captured as much as Swinub, so Glasorden had to put the skills he learned in school to good use. On one route, he was surprised to find a Magnemite stranded out in the cold-he brought it to the nearest shelter, which was an abandoned hut, and started a fire to keep things warm. In the hut, Glasorden decided to read the stories he picked up during his travels to his Pokémon team. Among these stories were a story about a woman who lived with her two ugly stepsisters and another one about a silly redheaded mermaid who wanted to become human. They all laughed the night away before going to bed, and in the morning, Glasorden was on his way again.

Glasorden's thirst for Pokémon battling was insatiable, and it carried him great distances. At the age of eighteen, he happened upon a very large city in the middle of a snowfield. The sign at the entrance revealed the city's name to be Glacierbay City. He figured that he'd had enough walking and went to the local tavern. He wasn't a drinker, but he would sometimes meet new people and find out something that he didn't know beforehand. Many of the bartenders that Glasorden met were very friendly and helpful.  
"You look like a blizzard just hit ya," the bartender opened. "I'll get you some hot chocolate. It's an old family recipe. This one's on me!" And so the bartender filled up a mug and slid it down the table. Glasorden caught it and took a hearty swig. It didn't taste tinted-he could've sworn that a bartend somewhere tried to deceive him into drinking alcohol-but after what he'd been through, he didn't feel like he cared too much. He felt revived, and his team felt the same way after they were provided with some of the Pokémon food that was on hand. Glasorden looked at one of the bags. It said "BROCK" in large letters. He wondered what that could mean.  
"That was very generous of you, kind sir," Glasorden replied. "I'm Glasorden from Farlig Town. Who are you?"  
"Name's Peter," the bartender replied. "It was no trouble whatsoever. Hey! I just got news that the Gym Leader here is retiring, and he's actually selling the Gym! Can you believe it?"  
Glasorden pondered the prospect of being a Gym Leader. It sounded like something that he wanted to do. He was admiring a portrait of the famed Professor Oak when the tavern door burst open.  
"I'd watch out if I were you, stranger," Peter said in a low voice. "My customers get pretty rowdy when they start drinkin' the liquor."  
Sure enough, the four burly men who just entered ordered tequila and drank it all up like there was no tomorrow. One of them started talking.  
"Hey! Where are all the hot female Trainers?" he bellowed. "My standards aren't THAT high!"  
"There's this one Psychic-type lady somewhere in Kanto. Ahhhhh..."  
"Hey! What about that Water-type one?

**** Content removed due to censorship concerns ****

Mystique, right?"

"Mystique. Yeah, that's her name. Hey! Who's that guy sitting at the counter over there? Hey, you!"  
"Yes?" Glasorden replied.  
"You think you're so tough, Mr. All-Bones? Where's the meat on that body? You think you can just come in here and listen in on our conversation? We work twelve hours a day and have to put up with street shit like you! You'll be crawling back into whatever hole you came from when I'm through with you!"  
The man reached for the Poké Ball on his belt.  
"I accept your challenge!" Glasorden replied.  
And so Glasorden battled and defeated all four drunks in a row.  
"I can't stand this! I demand a refund!"  
"Beaten by a bed-wetter...I can't go back to my wife after this!"  
They stormed out the front door.  
"Well, I'll be!" Peter exclaimed. "You taught those rowdy ruffians a lesson! Where'd you get those skills? You're worthy of that Gym in my eyes!"  
"Personally, I prefer battling sober people," Glasorden replied. "They're more of a challenge."  
"Don't be so modest! I really must have your autograph, stranger. Sign this mug!"  
Peter provided Glasorden with a marker, and Glasorden did as he was asked. Peter jumped for joy. "My tavern's going to be on the map after this! In fact, it'll BE the map!"  
"Nice meeting you, Peter. I better reserve a room. I'm going to that Gym first thing tomorrow morning."


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER IV

Glasorden left the tavern with his ragtag Pokémon team. He let his Pokémon stretch their legs (or other appendages) after those fierce battles. At this point, Swinub and Magnemite had both evolved, and he had Piloswine and Magneton instead. He generally preferred not to battle with Magneton, but he still tried to keep it close.  
In such a large city, Glasorden eventually found lodgings at a second-rate hotel. In his room, he thought about Farlig Town and all the great experiences he had there. He fondly remembered learning about Pokémon from Julia. He wondered whether he would ever see her or his parents again. Then he went to sleep.  
Next morning, he looked for the Gym. It turned out to be near the hotel. He knocked politely on the door.  
"I'm not taking challenges!" a gruff, old voice called out. "I've retired!"  
"I'm not here to challenge you, kind sir," Glasorden replied. "I want your Gym."  
"Then by all means, come in!" the voice responded.  
So Glasorden went in. The Gym was a masterpiece of dirt and quicksand. Perhaps this man was once a Ground-type Gym Leader.  
"Oh, Peter from the tavern told me all about you!" the ex-Gym Leader said. "My name's Dirk! I always enjoyed a good barroom brawl! Anyway, you seem skilled. I was going to sell this Gym for five million Poké Dollars, but there's something I like about you, Glasorden. Let's make a deal. I own a mining operation right under this city. If you work for me for three months, the Gym's yours."  
"That sounds reasonable," Glasorden said.  
"Come here early tomorrow morning," Dirk said, "and we'll get you all set up."  
The mines weren't too dirty, but it was hot down there and the work was hard. Glasorden thought about how his parents' Machop would like it down here. On the other hand, the prospect of finally becoming a Gym Leader seemed to be more than worth it. Also, Peter let him order anything for free because he was convinced that the battles in his tavern would bring in tourists by the dozens. Sometimes, Glasorden would dig up small gems, but mining was mostly busywork. On the third day, however, he stumbled upon something embedded within the rock wall. His curiosity compelled him to keep digging away at it, and a large stone plate eventually popped out of the wall. A casual examination showed the plate to bear pictures of an ancient Pokémon and words in an ancient language. Glasorden was still looking at it when Dirk happened to be making his rounds. The plate caught his attention.  
"What is that, Glasorden?" he opened.  
"It looks like ancient writing," Glasorden replied.  
Dirk examined the plate closely. "Oh, my! That looks quite valuable! If you give me that plate, I'll give you the Gym!"  
"It's a deal." Glasorden gladly handed the plate over, wiped the sweat from his brow, and exchanged his outfit at the workers' station. He went right back to the tavern to refresh himself.  
"Hey, Peter! You'll be glad to hear this," Glasorden opened.  
"Hear what?" Peter replied.  
"I just got the Gym from the ex-Gym Leader," Glasorden said.  
"I knew you had it in ya!" Peter said. "Can I be your number one fan?"  
"I don't see why not," Glasorden said as he watched Peter wash the mugs for Happy Hour.  
Glasorden heard the four men from the other night re-enter the tavern. One of them walked over to where Glasorden was sitting.  
"So Pete tells us that we gave you a hard time. We didn't mean no harm."  
"That's okay."  
"I'm Ralph. That chump over there is Roger, he's Raul, and that last guy's Rich."  
"Hey! I'm working-class!" Rich exclaimed.  
"Nice to meet you all," Glasorden said. "I'm Glasorden."  
"Same here," Roger replied. Glasorden saw that the four men weren't drinking so heavily today. He looked at the portrait of Professor Oak again. Professor Oak seemed to be in his usual cheerful mood. Glasorden was thinking about the work ahead of him. He had to refurbish his Gym and submit his proposed Badge design to the Pokémon League. Since he had a battalion of Ice-types already, he decided to be an Ice-type Gym Leader. Peter helped in funding the Gym's refurbishment. For his Badge, he decided on the Aurora Badge. After a while, the Gym looked impeccable, and Glasorden received a letter telling him that his Badge name and design were now official. He wondered who his first challenger would be.  
There was a knock at the door.  
"Come in," Glasorden said.  
The door opened to reveal the previous owner of the Gym.  
"Hey, there!" Dirk said. "You seem like you'd be fun to fight. How about a friendly battle?"  
"Okay," Glasorden replied.  
"Go! Geodude!" Dirk yelled as Geodude hit the field.  
"Go! Piloswine!" Glasorden sent out Piloswine in response.  
Geodude started the battle with Rock Slide, which did some good damage. Piloswine responded with an Ice Beam attack. Geodude looked ready to faint.  
"Geodude! Use Selfdestruct!" Dirk cried.  
Selfdestruct removed both battlers from the field. Dirk sent out Claydol next. Glasorden called in Lapras. Once again, Claydol got the first strike with Psychic. Lapras responded with Surf. That was more than Claydol could take, and it promptly fainted. Dirk sent out Nidoking next.  
"Use Earthquake!" Dirk called out to Nidoking.  
Nidoking obeyed his Trainer, and the ground began to shake. After being weakened by Psychic, Lapras could put up no more resistance. She was KO'd.  
"Looks like it's Snover's turn," Glasorden muttered.  
Snover's Aurora Beam, in spite of being super effective, didn't seem to faze Nidoking. Dirk decided to try another strategy.  
"Nidoking! Use your Fissure!"  
The ground began to crumble and crack, and Snover barely dodged the instant KO. Another Aurora Beam combined with the hail produced by Snover's Snow Warning ability stopped the lumbering Nidoking cold.  
"You're even stronger than you look!" Dirk called out to Glasorden.  
Glasorden had battled Gym Leaders before, but he had to admit that this was the most thrilling battle that he ever participated in. Dirk left the Gym sweating.  
As he walked away, Glasorden wondered what challenges were in store for him.


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER V

Several more years passed since Glasorden bought his Gym. He hired on some Junior Trainers, who saw him as a demanding Gym Leader. Glasorden received many challenges and few losses. But as time went on, Farlig Town seemed more distant. He wondered whether he would ever see it again.  
One day, Glasorden received a letter from a wayward Staraptor. He removed the envelope from the Staraptor's talons carefully and opened it. It said:

Dear Glasorden,

You have been invited to a Gym Leader meeting in beautiful Altinea City. There will be a feast and games. You won't want to miss it. You are allowed to invite one other person. A ship should be ready for you at the time and date provided on your invitation card.

Best regards,

-Jayne Reynolds, Pokémon League Secretary

There was a postcard, which had a beautiful picture of a beach where the waves appeared to be gently lapping the shore. Some Swimmers appeared to be having fun in the water while Tubers hung out on the beach.  
Glasorden went to tell Peter. Peter said, "There ain't nothing you can't do in my eyes!"  
"Only you, buddy!" Roger exclaimed, and the four men clanged their mugs together. Glasorden noticed that one of them had the mug that he signed for Peter.  
Glasorden knew who he wanted to invite. He sent an invitation to Julia back in Farlig Town (he wasn't so sure that he wanted to invite Peter). Writing to Julia brought back fond memories. He didn't expect an affirmative answer, so he was surprised when Julia rode to Glacierbay City on a Pidgeotto a few days later. They exchanged a hearty hug.  
Raul was passing by. "Hey, I never met your wife before!"  
"We're just good friends from years back," Glasorden said. "She helped teach me about Pokémon." Julia blushed.  
They got ready for the big departure. When the boat came, Glasorden was impressed. He never saw any ship so magnificent before in his life! They climbed aboard. Glasorden showed the man his Trainer Card as proof of identification and explained that Julia was his invitee. He was directed to his cabin in the first-class area of the ship while Julia was led to the cabins for the people who paid standard fare.  
Soon afterwards, Glasorden and Julia went out on the deck to take in the view and the salty sea breeze. After a while of this, Julia noticed that it was almost time for dinner. "We need to get to the dining area!" she told Glasorden.  
They walked to a large cabin with neatly arranged seats and a stage that looked like it was set aside for performances. The two of them sat at a small table where there were two empty seats. As the dining hall became crowded and people around the cabin began telling each other stories and laughing heartily, Glasorden and Julia talked about what happened to themselves during the time period after Glasorden left for adventure. He told Julia how he obtained Lapras.  
"There is something to be said about that Trainer," Julia replied.  
Glasorden went on to tell Julia about finding Magnemite and what happened to him in Peter's tavern.  
"No one was hurt, were they?" Julia said.  
"No, we just battled," Glasorden said. "A few days later, we worked out our disagreements. I also became a Gym Leader."  
"No way!" Julia said.  
"I got it from this old man who runs a mining operation under the city. We had some friendly competition afterwards."  
"Things are pretty quiet back at home. I'm thinking about becoming a novelist."  
"Pokémon are such fascinating creatures. You could write a book about Pokémon."  
"Yes, Pokémon will play a major role in my works. This is good spaghetti," she said as she started digging into the main course that was just brought to their table. "Mom never made this at home."  
As people were eating, the curtain on the stage began to slide open. The show was the teen sensation Pi! Pi! Pikachu! performing their hit single "You Burn My Heart like Charizard."  
"Do you think that I will ever find a girl?" Glasorden asked Julia over the music.  
"Of course you will, you charmer," Julia replied.  
The band sang a few more songs to finish up the dining hour. As people finished their meals, Glasorden led Julia to his cabin, where they chatted a little bit. After that, he took her to the cabin on the ship that was set aside for training Pokémon and had his team demonstrate some moves. Julia was impressed as the whole cabin turned to ice as a result of the Aurora Beams and Ice Beams. Fortunately, it was all done virtually-whenever the next Trainer came in, the cabin was bare and ready to be used again.  
Glasorden bade good night to Julia and went to his cabin again, where he thought some more and talked to his Pokémon before calling it a night.  
It wasn't too long before a siren woke Glasorden up with a start. He hurriedly prepared his things and jostled through the panicking crowd as a storm caused the ship to take in too much water. Eventually, he made it to the life boat station, where he looked for Julia. She was terrified as the ship tossed and turned in the crashing waves. They both noticed that each life boat was only big enough for two people. They climbed into an empty boat. Glasorden noticed a Sailor standing near the life boats.  
"Aren't you coming?" he asked the Sailor over the thunder and surging waves.  
"No, sir!" the Sailor said. "She was a fine vessel, and I'm proud to go down with her!"  
The Sailor gave a salute as Glasorden and Julia hurriedly loosened the knots that bound the life boat to the ship. They were sailing away from the huge vessel as it capsized in the water. The waves were rough and choppy, and the life boat was getting pushed from all sides.  
A wave knocked Julia clean out of the boat. She was dragged away by the undertow and eventually forced underwater. There was nothing that Glasorden could do except watch the raging sea take her life.  
Glasorden never saw Julia again.


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER VI

The raging storm eventually pushed Glasorden's beat-up life boat onto land. He was slightly injured in the landing. When he woke up, he found a woman looking over him.  
"Where am I?" Glasorden mumbled.  
"You're safe now," the woman replied. She looked at Glasorden's carrying case. "May I see what you have in here?"  
"Be my guest," Glasorden replied. He had nothing to hide.  
The woman noticed the set of Aurora Badges that Glasorden was carrying around. "Oh, my!" she exclaimed. "Are those..."  
"Badges? Yes, they are."  
"You must meet our Gym Leader. The Gym's a short walk away. I'll run and get him for you."  
"That's nice," Glasorden said.  
The woman left the house. Glasorden felt well enough to stand up, so he did. After a few minutes, the front door opened again. Glasorden beheld a red-haired man with a beard who appeared to be middle-aged. He wore a work outfit with a cape. For a Gym Leader, he didn't seem too awe-inspiring.  
"So Eldritch's gone and fished himself up a Gym Leader, huh?" the stranger began.  
"Is this Altinea City?" Glasorden asked the man.  
"I've never heard of such a place," he replied. "You're in Canalave City, stranger. This is a port town with a library containing works describing ancient Pokémon legends. I'm the Gym Leader here. My name's Byron."  
"Canalave City," Glasorden muttered to himself. In all of his travels, he never heard of such a place. Not only did he barely survive a raging storm at sea, but he was now lost. His heart dropped. Fortunately, this Gym Leader seemed pretty friendly. "Nice to meet you, Byron. My name's Glasorden."  
"The next boat out won't be here for a while," Byron said. "Until then, you might as well see what the nearby cities have to offer. For starters, Jubilife City, which is near here, has the only nearby TV station, a Pokétch company, and a huge trading center. I never wanted a Pokétch-that fancy new technology doesn't turn me on-but you might want one."  
The Pokétch sounded interesting to Glasorden.  
"South of that, there's Sandgem Town, where Professor Rowan is hard at work researching how Pokémon evolve. There's Oreburgh City, where a large mining operation and museum where they restore Pokémon from fossils lie. My son Roark is the Gym Leader there. In Floaroma Town, everyone's crazy about flowers and honey, and Eterna City is a huge tourist attraction with statues of ancient Pokémon. I've heard rumors that Professor Oak's there, too. I have a relative who lives there-you might want to meet him. He's crazy about digging up treasure underground. Of course, all the ancient history and treasure isn't what brings my son up there..." Byron began to trail off.  
"Why does he go there?" Glasorden inquired. He was now curious.  
"I don't want to get into that right now," Byron answered. "Anyway, Veilstone City has a large department store, and Pastoria City has the Great Marsh. Many people travel great distances to see the rare Pokémon that appear there. Hearthome City is well-known for its Pokémon Super Contests. I've never been interested in such things, though. Fantina, the Gym Leader there, is crazy about those contests. I've heard that her Pokémon are a wonder to watch. Rumor has it that she has never been defeated in a contest. In any case, you should rest up. That was quite a storm you were in!"  
Glasorden had a flashback of Julia's death. It stung him.  
"What's the matter?" Byron asked.  
"Nothing," Glasorden answered.  
"I better leave now," Byron said. "I never know when I'm going to have a challenger."  
Glasorden knew how that felt. He especially hated it when he received challenges late at night. Byron left and the woman entered. "Would you like some tea?" she asked.  
"No thank you," Glasorden replied. "I should be going now. Thanks for looking over me."  
Glasorden grabbed his carrying case, fastened his Ball Belt to his waist, and filled his canteen at the local convenience store. Since this was unfamiliar territory, it never hurt to be prepared. He continued until he reached a large city. A man standing by the road stopped him.  
"You'd be lady-getting material with one of our Pokétches!" he said. "They're cheap!"  
Glasorden figured that it wouldn't hurt to get one. As he reached for his money, a gleam caught the salesman's eye. "You aren't recognized by the Pokémon League by any chance, are you?" the man said.  
"I'm the Glacierbay City Gym Leader," Glasorden said, showing the man his Trainer Card.  
"Why didn't you say so?" the man said. "You can have one for free!"  
With that, the salesman thrust a Pokétch into Glasorden's empty hand. Glasorden spent some time admiring the various features, like the Move Tester (which was actually redundant in his case) and the Friendship Checker, before fastening the Pokétch to his left forearm. He thanked the salesman and left.  
After working in the mines underneath Glacierbay City, Glasorden wasn't sure that he could stand another mine, but ancient Pokémon statues never hurt anything. He hoped that they would help him take his mind off Julia's death. He also wanted to meet Professor Oak, not to mention the fact that he was still curious about what Roark did there.  
A good walk took Glasorden to two giant Pokémon statues. They appeared to have weathered from age, but that didn't make them any less impressive. Although Glasorden had seen many species, these two Pokémon were new to him. The plates at the bottom were almost unreadable. Glasorden asked a bystander what the Pokémon were.  
"See that one on the left?" the man said, pointing to the one that looked like it had shards coming out of its body. "That's Dialga, who controls time." Pointing to the one that looked like it had shields on its arms, he said, "That one's Palkia, controller of space." Dialga and Palkia seemed more impressive than any Pokémon that Glasorden ever saw before as their likenesses towered over the city.  
After observing the statues for a little while, Glasorden decided to check out the rest of the city. He passed a strange spiked building that gave him the creeps. It looked abandoned. Eventually, he came to something that caught his eye.  
It was a garden. Not just any garden, either-by the looks of things, every flower and tree in it was cared for by the hand of a master. Although ice flower gardens were popular among the citizens of Glacierbay City, they didn't prepare Glasorden for the medley of colors and aromas that presented itself to him. He noticed something unusual.  
It was a red-haired man peering through a window.  
"Just a little more-," he said quietly before hearing Glasorden's footsteps. He let out a quick "Ack!" and said "Please don't tell anyone that I was here!" before running for it.  
The garden seemed like a good place to take a rest. Glasorden released his Pokémon from their Poké Balls. They took in the pleasing aroma that was still permeating the air.  
Glasorden was examining one of the fruits closely when a dark-haired girl carrying a Sprayduck rounded the corner.  
"What do you think you're doing?" the young lady demanded, waving the Sprayduck.  
"You have a nice garden," Glasorden replied.  
"Are you hitting on me?" The girl was now enraged, and her face was visibly reddening. "I have an older brother, and I'm not afraid to have him teach you a lesson, you insufferable pedophile!"  
Glasorden thought, "This girl must not know who she's talking to."  
"No, this must be a misunderstanding!" he responded. "I-"  
"Are you being mean to our visitor?" a sweet female voice called out from around the corner.  
Glasorden was mesmerized by the voice and suddenly forgot about his scuffle with the girl, who was still standing next to him. A woman followed the voice around the corner. She had reddish blonde hair and a gardening outfit. She seemed even more imposing to Glasorden than the two statues that he saw only a few minutes earlier.  
"Hello, stranger," the woman said.  
Glasorden was observing her carefully. She looked back at him through her golden eyes.  
"Hello," he replied. "I'm Glasorden."  
"I'm Gardenia," the woman replied. "I apologize for my Junior Trainer's misconduct." Glasorden half-expected her to look down at the girl in admonishment, but she just smiled at him.  
Junior Trainer? She wasn't just cute and friendly-she was a Gym Leader! Being unable to say anything more, Glasorden opened his carrying case and revealed his set of Aurora Badges. Gardenia giggled and winked at him. Neither one of them could say anything in response, but they didn't have to because there was one thing that Glasorden didn't count on.  
Lapras was allergic to pollen.  
With a big sneeze, the entire garden was covered in ice and frost. All of a sudden, the mood was broken. Glasorden could feel his heart dropping like a lead weight.  
"You better get out of here," the girl said to Glasorden before escorting him out of the garden. She ran back to Gardenia, who was wailing at this point. Glasorden could feel his own tears burning inside him. He came to a small house.  
A sign said, "Prof. Oak's House."


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER VII

Glasorden knocked on the door. "Come in," a voice called. He opened the door and went in.  
Nothing less than the sight of Professor Oak greeted him.  
"You don't look happy to see me at all," Professor Oak said. "That's a nice change from seeing all those people who are like, 'Oh, I wanted to see you all my life!' or 'I'm your biggest fan!' and then it seems like they're taking up the rest of the room."  
"It's not that at all," Glasorden replied. "A few days ago, I would have been thrilled to meet you; however, things have not been going my way lately. I witnessed the death of my best friend and lost a chance to find out what love is like. I'd hate to meet the man who's excited after that."  
"That is very true," the kind professor said, "but you must realize that you still have the most important love of all, and that is the love of your Pokémon."  
"You're right, professor," Glasorden said. Unfortunately, however, Professor Oak happened to be watching TV, and the TV showed a couple embracing each other after the man returned from a long journey. Upon seeing this episode of utter happiness, Glasorden sobbed uncontrollably. He would never have that in his life.  
"It is painful, but in time, you will put it all behind you," Professor Oak said. "Frankly, I have to have a business meeting. Hopefully, you will benefit from my advice, but until then, best of luck to you."  
Glasorden left the professor's one-bedroom house after exchanging goodbyes and walked over to a nearby bridge, where he watched his reflection in the river and thought about Farlig Town again. When he still lived there, he was happy. He imagined coming home and being greeted by his parents and Julia after a long journey. He imagined feasting on delicious food and watching Machop's silly antics. It would be a scene of great joy.  
Instead, he was here. He was in a place where even the luckiest person did not leave happy. He thought he saw a tear fall into the water as he stared at his reflection, which stared back with the same sad expression. He splashed the water in disgust. One of the nearby fishermen was slightly annoyed by the small chance of a big catch being driven away by the splashing.  
Glasorden suddenly realized something. He figured out the perfect way to end his pain.  
He walked toward Mt. Coronet in the distance. As he looked up, he dreaded the long climb. He climbed anyway. "Having no life at all is much better than having a life as bad as mine," he said to himself as he climbed the sky-piercing mountain. Although it was difficult, Glasorden reached the top. He looked down. The drop was long.  
Piloswine watched helplessly as Glasorden stood near the edge. After a deep breath, he jumped right off the side of the mountain. No one ever saw the Ice-type Trainer again.  
That would be true if it weren't for the fact that a Staravia who happened to be flying around the mountain broke his fall.  
The kind Staravia returned Glasorden to the Eterna City Pokémon Center. Unbeknownst to him, Piloswine asked Staravia to save his Trainer. As he descended, he thought about Professor Oak's words again and remembered that he should be there for his own Pokémon. He checked his Pokétch. It was getting late, so Glasorden needed to find some lodging. He went to a local restaurant for dinner. As he sat in the dining area, he was reminded of sitting in the dining room of the ill-fated cruise ship that was now lying at the bottom of the sea. After a little while, the waiter came to his table.  
"What will you be having tonight, sir?" the waiter asked.  
"I would like a black-eye burger and a rice cake," Glasorden answered, "with some Soda Pop to drink."  
"Could I interest you in the Chef Salad?" the waiter responded. "It's the daily special."  
"No thank you," Glasorden said. "I'm allergic to tomatoes." Of course, that wasn't the real reason, but the waiter decided not to push the issue. He walked back to the kitchen only to return several minutes later with Glasorden's order and a hearty "Bon appetit!" Glasorden ate his dinner slowly. He wondered what Peter would think if he ever got out of this whole mess. He felt confident that Peter and the four men from his tavern would remain his friends through thick and thin. Glasorden ordered cake and ice cream for dessert. They were both made using Moomoo Milk from the Johto region and, therefore, were very good. After eating his dessert, he left a tip, paid the ticket, and left to find a place to stay for the night.  
Glasorden reserved a room at the Eterna Grand Hotel. As he tried to get some sleep, he thrashed about in his despair. His feelings for the two women who ruined his life clung to him like a Mawile clinging to its prey. "I can't stand the pain!" he yelled. After a while of that, he went to sleep.  
A Gastly crept into Glasorden's room, where he tossed and turned in his sleep, and floated to the center of the room. As Piloswine watched from a corner, the form of Julia materialized in the room and looked at the restless Glasorden. "My friend, it is a shame that I can no longer spend time with you as I did in life. It is my wish that the winds of fate will blow at your back and you will overcome all challenges." Julia bent down and kissed Glasorden on the cheek. His tossing began to slow as Gastly reappeared and floated back into the darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER VIII

Glasorden was running through a thick forest. His Pokémon were fainted from exhaustion, so he had to find the exit as soon as possible. The more he ran, however, the darker the forest became, and it seemed like he would never get out.  
One moment, he heard footsteps quickly approaching him. When he looked up, he saw Gardenia.  
"You're safe now," she said. "I never want to lose you again, my love!"  
She ran towards him again and got ready to embrace him. When he closed his arms around her, however, he felt nothing but the cold night air. He opened his eyes. No one was there.  
"No!" Glasorden yelled as he fell to the ground.

Glasorden woke up from his sleep. When he went to the hotel lobby, the receptionist stopped him.  
"You received a letter!" she told him.  
She handed him an envelope, which he opened. He read the letter.

Dear Glasorden,

I have just been made the captain of a new ship! I believe that it has the muscle to get you back to Glacierbay City. Just let me know whenever you need a ride between here and Glacierbay City and I'll get you all set up!

Your chum,

-Eldritch

Glasorden was eager to get back to Glacierbay City-his Gym was a big responsibility, and he wanted to see Peter again. On top of that, every minute he spent here made him feel that much worse. He thanked the receptionist, ate breakfast, and set off.  
When he got back to Canalave City, he went to Eldritch's house. His wife and son were there.  
"Where's Eldritch?" Glasorden asked.  
"You're here so soon," the wife said. "Eldritch is overseeing the ship right now. Why don't you get on? He's been awaiting your arrival."  
"When I get big, I want to see the world, just like Daddy!" the little boy said.  
Glasorden thanked the woman and left. He didn't get far on the ship before Eldritch spotted him.  
"Hey, chum! You look like a mess! Did some young Siren run off with your heart?" Eldritch laughed at himself. "Anyway, I suppose that you're ready to set sail now!"  
"I am," Glasorden replied. He didn't want to talk about what happened in Eterna City.  
Eldritch got things going, and before he knew it, Glasorden was back on the ocean. It was the same ocean that swallowed his best friend and the person who first taught him about Pokémon. In fact, if it weren't for this ocean, this situation never would have started. He tried not to think about that stormy night-Peter and the four men were waiting for him at the tavern.  
It was getting late when Eldritch's ship pulled into the Glacierbay dock. Glasorden parted ways with Eldritch before heading back to the tavern. Sure enough, Peter and his five-star customers were there.  
"You're back! I heard about what happened on that ship and was worried that you didn't make it! My champion wasn't going to be stopped by something like that, though! A piece of you seems to be missing, however. What happened to ya? You look like you're really going to be drinking the hot chocolate tonight." Peter prepared another hot chocolate.  
"I don't want to talk about it," Glasorden replied.  
"That's okay," Roger replied.  
"Yeah," Rich added. "What doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger!"  
Glasorden looked at the portrait of Professor Oak again. He could almost hear it talking to him. "You still have the most important love of all, and that is the love of your Pokémon." After what happened at Mt. Coronet, he knew how true those words were.  
After drinking the hot chocolate Peter provided, Glasorden went back to his Gym, where his Junior Trainers were still hard at work. Over the next few days, they noticed a change in his demeanor. He made them work much harder than before. At one point, the Junior Trainers met in the lounge.  
"Can you believe this guy?" one of them opened. "If I survive this Gym, it will be a miracle!"  
"At least he will make us that much stronger," another Trainer replied. "The Pokémon League must have told him that we weren't working hard enough. I'm glad that I'm not working at another Gym right now!"  
Glasorden walked into the lounge. He was still as depressed as ever.  
"Okay, back to work!" he said. "I expect 100 more reps from your Sneasel, Michel."  
When the Junior Trainers left, Glasorden went back to his room. He saw no end to his despair.  
One fateful day, Glasorden was approached by one of his Junior Trainers.  
"What are you doing away from your station?" Glasorden said.  
"It's terrible!" the Trainer replied. "Hundreds of Pokémon disappearances have been reported throughout the city! It's a disaster!" He threw a newspaper at Glasorden. Sure enough, it made the headlines.  
"I'm afraid that we'll have to close the Gym," Glasorden said.  
Suddenly, he came up with a plan for getting the stolen Pokémon back.


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER IX

Glasorden hung a "CLOSED" sign on his Gym and went over to the tavern to drown his sorrows in hot chocolate. When nightfall came, he went back to the Gym, found a hiding spot, and waited patiently.  
After what seemed like forever, a truck was parked next to the Gym. Two men got out and busted the Gym door open.  
"Fools," Glasorden thought to himself. "They don't know that I intentionally left the door unlocked."  
They went inside, and Glasorden snuck behind them. After a while, they took Lapras's Poké Ball and went back to the truck. Glasorden thought about the powerful redhead who gave him that Lapras. When the two men got in the truck, he threw himself into the cargo hold. He was hoping that the men would take him to wherever the stolen Pokémon were being held.  
After a while, the truck came to a screeching halt. Glasorden found his Lapras among the piles of Poké Balls and snuck out of the truck. In the darkness, he made out a large white facility that towered over the barren landscape. He stood and waited for the two men to come to the cargo hold to unload the night's catch.  
"A fine night for some good Pokémon thievery, eh?" Glasorden heard a male voice say.  
Another male voice responded. "Yeah, the boss will be so proud of-Intruder! Get him!"  
Glasorden was prepared for the encounter. He dispatched the two criminals without a fuss.  
"He's too strong! This mission is a failure! Run for the base!"  
They ran for the front door and went in. Glasorden followed them inside before the door shut. The terrified operator ran away. Glasorden took advantage of the opportunity and lifted the lock on the door. The cool night breeze crept back in as the door heaved open once more.  
Glasorden went down the hallway. Eventually, it ended at a four-way junction. He wondered which way to go-none of the three passages visibly ended.  
He was admiring the architecture when a female Trainer joined him.  
"Hi!" she said. "Am I late for the party?"  
"Halt, intruders!" Two security guards approached the hero and heroine. "Your tour of our secret base ends here! Leave quietly and you won't get hurt!"  
"Make us!" the girl replied.  
They had a 2 vs. 2 Multi Battle. Glasorden was impressed with the girl's fighting ability as the two guards received their just desserts. They were easily defeated.  
"Who are you?" Glasorden asked the girl.  
"You should remember me, you insufferable pedophile!" the girl said jokingly. "My name's Rose. Nice to meet you a second time."  
"Gardenia must be a good Gym Leader if her Junior Trainers are this skilled," Glasorden thought to himself. "That's one more thing for me to love about her." When Rose noticed Glasorden's head drooping, she gently caressed it.  
The two Trainers wondered which way to go. Suddenly, Glasorden had a strange feeling.  
It was as though Julia was pointing him in the right direction.  
Glasorden pointed down the hallway to the right. "We must go this way!" he told Rose before running down the corridor.  
"Are you sure?" she said. "How can you tell?"  
"I'm positive!" he replied.  
They ran down the hallway. A sign somewhere read "PRISON" and pointed down a set of stairs. Glasorden and Rose walked carefully down. At the end of a short hallway, two jailers were watching over several cells. Two of the cells contained a man and a woman.  
"Aww, did you come here to break your little friends out?" the female jailer said. "I'm afraid we just can't let you do that."  
"No, we need to teach these interlopers a lesson!" the male jailer added. "Hey, pretty girl! Let's dance!"  
Rose's face became red again. "Let's beat these inconsiderate jerks!" she said.  
Glasorden and Rose defeated the jailers, who made a break for it.  
"I got this key from one of the jailers' waistbelts!" Rose said happily as she twirled the keycard on its keychain. Glasorden released the prisoner lock, which freed the imprisoned man and woman.  
"Oh, Brock!" the woman said. "I'm so glad to be in your arms again!"  
"Same here!" the man said. "Those scoundrels stole the Pokémon from my Gym's city as well! Teach them a lesson for me!"  
Rose knew what Glasorden was thinking. "Everything will be okay," she whispered to him.  
Brock and the woman started to run towards the exit when Rose stopped them. "Who's your girlfriend, Brock?" she asked.  
"Lana," he replied.  
Glasorden and Rose continued down the hallway that they were in before. They came to a door. When Rose swiped the keycard that she put on her waistbelt, a voice said, "Access granted!" as the door slid open. The sliding door startled a guard on the other side.  
"Luther? Eva? Your shifts aren't over yet!"  
"Yes, they are," Glasorden replied. The guard was startled again.  
"Who are you?" he asked. "You're not going any farther!" He took off down the corridor, and Glasorden and Rose chased him the whole way.  
"You may be fast," the guard said, "but your trains are about to be derailed!"  
With that, the guard lifted a switch. An electric grid appeared in front of him.  
"This grid can only be deactivated from my side," the guard mocked. "I guess you'll be going home now."  
Glasorden and Rose couldn't believe their ill fortune. "No! No!" Rose exclaimed. "This can't be happening! We've come so far!" She started to cry.  
"Don't think that your tears are going to make me turn this gate off," the guard said.  
Magneton suddenly came out of its Poké Ball on Glasorden's belt. It decided that after years of being cared for, it was time to repay the favor. It hovered toward the crackling electric gate.  
"No! Come back!" Glasorden called.  
Magneton didn't seem to hear him. It hovered into the center of the electric grid. All three people watched helplessly as Magneton was consumed by the electricity. Sparks began to fly, and it made a strange noise before exploding in a fiery ball.  
"Magneton!" Glasorden cried.  
The overcharged gate could be heard shutting down.  
"That's not possible!" the guard yelled. "There's only one thing left to do!" He pulled the alarm before making a break for it.  
Before too long, there were many guards encroaching upon the hapless duo.  
"I'll hold them off!" Rose yelled. "Run on ahead! Hurry!"  
Glasorden wasn't sure that she could hold off the security guards, but he had no choice but to confide in her. After a short run, he reached a large room. A tall man with an afro walked up to him, followed by his loose-footed Ludicolo.  
"Greetings, adventurer," the man said to Glasorden in an evil voice. "I just can't have you making a mess of our little operation here."  
"Who are you?" Glasorden asked.  
"You've never heard of me?" the man replied. "I'm utterly disappointed! I'm the ex-crime boss of Pyrite Town and wanted Pokémon thief Miror B! But I've said too much. It's time to dispense with the formalities and get down to business."  
With that, Miror B. released a Gyarados into the room. Glasorden followed it up with his Lapras. Gyarados attacked first with Hyper Beam, which left Lapras weakened. Using all of the energy she could summon, she fought back with Ice Beam, which left Gyarados low on HP. Since Gyarados had to recharge, she KO'd him on the next turn.  
"So you got lucky!" Miror B. retorted. "My bag of tricks isn't that shallow!"  
A Mightyena appeared in the room and used Bite. Lapras was KO'd.  
Glasorden followed Lapras up with Piloswine. Mightyena attacked with Bite again. It was a critical hit, and Piloswine was KO'd right off the bat.  
Glasorden wondered how he was supposed to win as he sent out Snover. Mightyena used Bite a third time, but Snover used Absorb to regain some energy. As a result, Mightyena's fourth Bite attack failed to KO the little Pokémon as it fought valiantly for the sakes of many saddened Trainers.  
"Snover! Use your Ice Beam attack!"  
Snover KO'd the powerful Mightyena.  
"You fought well, young Trainer," Miror B. said, "but your Pokémon is in no shape to win!"  
Miror B. sent out Ludicolo. It went underwater and used Dive, but he missed the limber Snover, who used Ice Beam. Glasorden was dumbfounded as Snover tried to avenge Magneton's suicide.  
It was a critical hit.  
"No! I've lost the rhythm!" Miror B. cried as Ludicolo fell to the ground. "You're stronger than you look! You may have forced us to retreat right now, but I'm not finished!" Miror B. rode an emergency elevator to the exit.  
Glasorden looked as Snover suddenly turned white. In a short while, the majesty of Abomasnow filled the room. It let out a cry.  
Glasorden saw a switch. His instinct was to lift it. When he did, the door shown on the monitor beside the switch slowly slid open and revealed piles of Poké Balls. Glasorden called the emergency elevator and rode it to the exit. When he got outside the complex, Rose greeted him.  
"That was spectacular!" she said. "Some afro guy just ran away like a coward! About what happened to your Magneton..."  
She figured that actions speak louder than words, so she handed him a Poké Ball. Glasorden looked at it for a little while.  
"Open it, silly," Rose said.  
He did. It contained a young female Budew.


	10. Chapter 10

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER X

Glasorden went back to the tavern.  
"There's our hero!" Peter exclaimed joyfully.  
"We wouldn't expect any less of you!" Roger said. The other three men gave a hearty "Aye!" The men clanged their mugs together once again.  
Glasorden saw that the TV was on. "Joy has been brought to many Trainers whose Pokémon were unjustly stolen from them today. Crews are still in the process of returning the stolen Pokémon to their rightful owners. Stay tuned for more information."  
"You're a darned good Gym Leader, old chum!" Eldritch said.  
"I never would have thought it," Byron said. He was sitting at the same table as Eldritch. Next to him was the man from the garden.  
Glasorden wished that Rose could be there. She did help out a great deal, after all.  
"Three cheers for our hero!" Peter yelled.  
The whole tavern chanted, led (naturally) by Peter: "Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!"  
Glasorden drank to his good health. When he went back to his Gym, his Junior Trainers were relieved to discover that their hard work and turmoil was over. Rose made Glasorden wonder what kind of lover he was being by oppressing his Junior Trainers.  
Suddenly, Glasorden realized that there was one more thing that he had to do. He went to the local flower shop.  
"Hey, it's the Gym Leader!" the woman at the counter exclaimed. "I've never seen him in here before! You know what? I think that these flowers will-"  
"I'll take it from here," a somber-looking dark-haired girl said. "I suppose that you're getting these flowers for a girl you love. In that case, you should get these ones." She pulled some flowers off of a shelf, walked over to the woman at the counter, and put down some money.  
"Here you go. These ones should...zzz..."  
"Thanks," Glasorden said to the girl. He attached instructions and a letter to the flowers:

Dear Gardenia,

These are some flowers from where I come from. I hope they find you well.

Yours truly,

-An admirer

He put everything in an Item Capsule and attached it to a Staraptor, which quickly flew towards the horizon. A tear fell from his eye as he watched it disappear.  
He walked back to his Gym.  
A few days later, another Staraptor came to Glasorden's Gym. He took the envelope off and started reading:

Dear Glasorden,

Please come back to the garden. There's something important that I would like to discuss with you if you have the time. Do you know Eldritch?

Sincerely,

-Rose

Glasorden puzzled this letter. He didn't want to go back to that depressing garden, but he respected Rose fully and decided that she deserved another audience with him. He wrote Eldritch a letter. Sure enough, his ship pulled in on the very next day. Glasorden climbed aboard.  
"Hello, old chum!" Eldritch said. "What brings you back to Canalave City?"  
"An old friend," Glasorden replied. He smiled as he thought of Rose back at Miror B.'s headquarters.  
The ship left the dock. Glasorden made it to Canalave City by nightfall. When he climbed off the ship, he saw a familiar face.  
"Did you think that this old man would miss a good party?" Byron said. "You're back so soon! What brings you here?"  
"Some Trainer named Rose," Glasorden said. "I highly respect her."  
"I wonder what Roark is up to right now," Byron said. "You never know what he's doing."  
"I need to take care of my business with Rose," Glasorden said. "It was a pleasure seeing you again, Byron."  
Glasorden remembered the route to Eterna City. He couldn't help but feel worse as the city's towering buildings became closer and closer to him. He could still see himself in the forest...Gardenia disappearing into thin air...  
Glasorden noticed a small drugstore which was still open. He walked inside.  
"Good evening, sir!" the woman behind the counter said.  
"Do you have anything to treat allergies?" Glasorden said to the woman.  
"We have everything you could ask for! They're getting bad around this time...believe it or not, but I've been getting people who are allergic to the opposite sex!"  
"I just need something to treat my Lapras's allergies. She's allergic to pollen."  
"Let me take a good look here...yes, I've seen this before. You need this medicine here. If Lapras takes this for five days, it'll be like nothing ever happened!"  
"Let's hope so." Glasorden took a tablet out of the bottle. Lapras hid her head in disagreement.  
"Come on, Lapras," Glasorden said. "Don't you want to feel better?"  
Glasorden comforted Lapras, who eventually consented and swallowed the tablet. He went to the garden. Although it was late, Rose was there.  
"I've been waiting here for quite a while," Rose said. "There's something important that I want you to do for me..."  
Rose ran up to Glasorden and grabbed one of his hands. Glasorden was dragged along the ground at high speed. "Where are you taking me?" he said.  
"You'll see!" Rose answered.  
Before he even knew what was happening, Glasorden was pulled out of the garden, through a doorway, into another garden, through yet another doorway, and finally into a corridor. Rose stopped at yet another door. She knocked several times.  
There was no answer.  
Rose knocked again. There was still no response.  
"I hate to do this," Rose said as she reached for the door. She opened it slowly. Glasorden followed her into a small room. He looked around and saw more flowers, a dresser, and a small bed. Next to the bed were some ice flowers that Glasorden recognized immediately. He saw that the soil was kept frozen, just like the instructions specified.  
"Rose?" Glasorden said to Rose. She stood transfixed in the center of the room.  
"She's supposed to be here," Rose said in a sad voice. "I still remember the first time I met Gardenia...I was being chased by this blue-haired man in a dark jacket and shades who had an Alakazam. I went into Eterna Forest to lose him...which I did...but I then got lost myself. I sat down and cried because I had no hope of getting home again...and that's when I saw a hand offered in friendship. When I looked up, Gardenia introduced herself and got me out of the forest. I decided to become a Junior Trainer for her after that happened. Now, she's gone..." Rose began to cry.  
Glasorden looked around and wondered where Gardenia could possibly be.

* * *

Roark couldn't get it out of his mind. He absolutely had to ask Gardenia on a date.  
One day, he decided that he was ready. He walked out his Gym's front door.  
"Keep things in order," he said.  
"You don't have to worry about a thing, Roark," a Junior Trainer replied.  
As he strolled up the fairway to Eterna City, he became increasingly nervous. Although he had seen Gardenia through her Gym window and gone to Gym Leader meetings with her, he never actually had the heart to talk to her. He entered the Gym and walked to the door in the back.  
"Don't go in there," Rose said to Roark.  
"This is important Gym Leader business!" Roark replied. "Now, if you don't mind..."  
"I know why you're here, Roark," Rose said. "You're too late. Our Gym Leader's heart belongs to another man."  
"Really?" Roark said, dumbfounded.  
"Yes," Rose answered. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to train my Turtwig."  
Roark walked back to Oreburgh City disappointed. He couldn't believe his ill fortune. He had a hard time getting to sleep once he got back to his Gym. As he laid in bed, he wondered who Gardenia's man could possibly be.


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER XI

Glasorden looked around the empty room. Rose continued to cry. Glasorden took a piece of paper from the bed and began to read.

Dear Glasorden,

I hope this letter finds you well. I've thought about it, and I've come to realize that we can't be together anymore. We come from two very different worlds. I'm sorry that things didn't work out between us. I would like you to know that I've found a new lover and we're really happy together.

Sincerely,

-Gardenia

Glasorden was crestfallen, but he had to admit that he half-expected something like this to happen. He handed the letter to Rose.  
"That can't be," she said with tears still in her eyes. "Our Gym Leader needs you in her life."  
Glasorden and Rose sat in the room for some time. They were both sad about what happened. Suddenly, Rose stood up.  
"I hate to do this, Gardenia," she said. She walked toward the dresser and revealed a diary with a flower design and a Turtwig on the cover. She flipped through the pages.  
"That letter's not in her handwriting," Rose said. She placed the open diary in Glasorden's lap. He noticed that it was open to the last page with writing on it. He began to read.

Dear diary,

I've been unsure about this for a while, but I am now certain. I desperately need Glasorden! He's so charming and handsome. I can't get enough of his sleek, dark hair and manly voice. I think he's really sweet. I'm so sad because he'll never come back for me...Please come back, Glasorden! I can't stand being without you any longer!

-Gardenia

There were dried tears on the page. Glasorden smiled as he handed the diary back to Rose, who put it back on the dresser. He grabbed the letter again.  
"Who did write this?" he asked.  
"I don't know," Rose replied. "Who would do something so cruel and inhuman?"  
Glasorden suddenly remembered the man whom he saw on his first trip to the garden. He remembered that the man sat next to Byron at the tavern. Then he remembered what Byron said..."all the ancient history and treasure isn't what brings my son up there..." He also remembered Byron mentioning that his son was the Oreburgh City Gym Leader...  
"Where's Oreburgh City?" Glasorden asked Rose.  
"Of course! How could I not have seen it?" Rose exclaimed. "Follow me!"  
As Glasorden and Rose arrived in Oreburgh City, they could feel the cool night breeze. Glasorden was amazed-not only did the city have a mine, but it appeared to be entirely built around mining! He followed Rose to a large building, which he immediately recognized as a Pokémon Gym. She barged into the Gym.  
"There's no need for such rudeness," a voice said. Glasorden looked around and noticed that Roark was the only person in the Gym. He was now wearing a mining hat.  
"Where's our Gym Leader?" Rose demanded.  
"You silly, silly girl," Roark replied. "I remember you from the last time we met. You thought you were so high and mighty turning me away from your Gym. Anyway, Gardenia's not here. She's probably having a good time with her boyfriend right now."  
"So you know about the letter!" Rose said. "Gardenia's true love will always be Glasorden!"  
"You're only fooling yourself," Roark answered. "Did you think that Gardenia would find love without people knowing? I only found out through word of mouth, my friend."  
"Stop playing games!" Rose said. "I know for a fact that she didn't write that letter!"  
"Okay, you caught me. Your Gym Leader is here, but you won't be seeing her anytime soon. By the way, who's your escort? Were you so scared that you needed Daddy to come with you?"  
"Glasorden's not my daddy!" Rose yelled.  
"Let us see Gardenia," Glasorden added.  
"Your girlfriend is indeed desperate to see you again, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Roark replied. "Gardenia and I will be so happy together. I don't see how she could possibly be happy with such an ugly man with an accent as you. Or do you need that translated into Norwegian?"  
"We're not leaving without a fight!" Rose said.  
"If you insist," Roark said. "I choose Onix!"  
"Go! Abomasnow!" Glasorden cried. "Use your Ice Beam attack!"  
Abomasnow obeyed, but the attack missed. Roark's Onix was surprisingly limber.  
"Use your Rock Slide attack!" Roark said.  
Abomasnow was also limber, but it still took some damage. It replied with another Ice Beam attack, which landed. Onix was KO'd.  
"You're good!" Roark said. "I still have a few cards up my sleeve, however! Here comes Golem! Use Rock Throw!"  
Rock Throw missed.  
"Use Ice Beam again!" Glasorden said to Abomasnow. It connected. Golem was almost ready to faint.  
"You'll love this!" Roark said. "Golem! Use your Explosion!"  
It did, and Abomasnow fainted.  
"Time for my trump card! Here comes Rampardos!"  
"Very well, then! I choose Lapras!"  
"Use your Take Down attack, Rampardos!"  
It did. The powerful attack KO'd Lapras in one blow.  
"That's some serious attack power," Glasorden remarked.  
"How are we supposed to win now?" Rose asked.  
"We have to try!" Glasorden replied. "For Gardenia!"  
Rose smiled slightly as Piloswine hit the field.  
"Oh, this is too easy!" Roark said. "Use your Head Smash, Rampardos!"  
Rampardos ran straight for Piloswine, but Piloswine ducked the attack and Rampardos couldn't stop itself from crashing into the wall. It clumsily stumbled around the battlefield.  
"Use Earthquake, Piloswine!" Glasorden cried. "Hurry!"  
The ground shook. The dizzy Rampardos lost its balance and crashed. It fainted.  
"Rampardos lost to Piloswine? How could that be? Oh, well! You may have won, but you'll never get the key to Gardenia's room!"  
Roark ran away once again. Piloswine turned white.  
"You're kidding..." Glasorden said.  
Mamoswine appeared and let out a room-filling cry.  
"We won!" Rose said. "You're quite the knight in shining armor, aren't you?"  
"We did win, but it doesn't mean anything without that key!" Glasorden answered. "We'll never save Gardenia now."  
"Yes, we will! Pick a hand, Glasorden."  
He thought that this was no time to play games, but he picked her right hand anyway.  
"Right!" Rose said as she revealed a key and spun it madly around its keychain. "Don't forget who you're talking to! I'm Rose, key stealer extraordinaire! I got it off Roark's waistbelt while he was battling you." She handed the key to Glasorden, who walked towards the back door of the room and went in.


	12. Chapter 12

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER XII

"I'll leave you two alone," Rose said to Glasorden. She proceeded to kick some of the dirt in Roark's Gym around. Glasorden continued inside and grabbed two Ball Belts that he saw along the way. At a doorway, he heard a loud knock and a muffled "Let me out of here!" He tried the key, which fit snugly in the lock. The door opened.  
It was Dirk.  
"Thank goodness you're here!" he said.  
"What are you doing here?" Glasorden asked Dirk.  
"That scoundrel Roark kidnapped my daughter!" the man answered.  
"Your daughter's here, too?" Glasorden asked.  
"Gardenia...she means more to me than any treasure! Roark was far too powerful! I couldn't beat him, so he threw me in here! Hey, is that my Ball Belt?"  
"Oh, this?" Glasorden said, handing one of the two Ball Belts to Dirk. "You have a very beautiful daughter."  
"I agree," Dirk said. "When I read the letter that she wrote about you, I could tell that there was more than a friendship growing between the two of you! Even before what happened in the desert, I would not have hesitated to choose you for my daughter..."  
"The desert?" Glasorden asked.  
"What happened with Miror B!" Dirk replied. "Some years ago, he was in league with a villainous group named Cipher. However, there was internal corruption in Cipher and Miror B. felt that the Shadow Pokémon project was flawed, so he decided to start his own group. He began various attempts to genetically engineer Pokémon to make them more powerful...this last one came dangerously close to fruition...anyway, that's all said and done now! What's important is that when we battled, I realized the strength of your bond with your Pokémon, and I thought, 'That's the kind of man I want around my daughter!' Please let her out of this wretched place! She should be in the room next door!"  
"What about you?" Glasorden asked.  
"I need to get back home," Dirk answered. "My TV show's about to come on. Oh, sweet, sweet TV..."  
With that, Dirk left the Gym. Before leaving, he said, "Please take good care of Gardenia."  
"I will," Glasorden replied. He continued to another door and tried his key again. The lock gave way. He opened the door to find Gardenia turned away from him in a corner.  
"Please don't hurt me anymore," she said. "I don't love you."  
"You're safe now," Glasorden said. "Roark is gone."  
Upon hearing those words, Gardenia's eyes lit up. She turned around and saw Glasorden.  
"Oh, my sweet laurel has come back to save me!" she cried. She ran towards Glasorden and got ready to embrace him. When he closed his arms around her, he half-expected to feel nothing, but instead, he felt her soft embrace wrapping all around him. He smiled like he never smiled before.  
"Roark is a pathetic excuse for a man!" Gardenia was crying again. "I trusted him!" She cried on Glasorden's shoulder. One of the Poké Balls on Glasorden's belt opened at this point.  
"Budew!" Glasorden's Budew cried.  
"That's...Rose's," Gardenia said. "She cares about me so much. Is she here?"  
"Yes, she's in the arena," Glasorden answered. "She's waiting for us."  
"I don't care that you can win Pokémon battles," Gardenia said. "What I care about is that there is a gentle, sweet man under that rough exterior. That's who I see when I look at you, my laurel."  
He was resisting a strong urge to kiss Gardenia at this point, but he couldn't hold on any longer. Apparently, Gardenia could sense this.  
"Kiss me," she said in a soft voice.  
They kissed. It was one of the most passionate kisses of all time. When it was over, he handed Gardenia's Ball Belt to her.  
"I'm so glad to see my Pokémon again!" she said.  
They left the room. When they entered the arena, Rose greeted them.  
"Oh, Gardenia, you're safe!" Rose said. She hugged her.  
"Yes, and I've never felt happier in my life," Gardenia replied. "It's getting late. We should get back to the Gym."  
All three of them walked back to Eterna City.  
"You two look so cute together," Rose said on the way back.  
When they got to Eterna City, Glasorden said, "I'll see you two tomorrow. I need to find a room somewhere."  
"Oh, there's an extra room in the Gym, my laurel," Gardenia said. "Please stay there tonight."  
"It would be my pleasure, my Skitty," Glasorden replied. Rose smiled. When they went into the Gym, Rose showed Glasorden to his room.  
"Would you like anything to eat or drink?" she asked.  
"No, it's too late for that," Glasorden replied. "I need to get some sleep."  
When his head hit the pillow, he was fast asleep.  
Glasorden woke up. The sunlight was pouring through his window. He noticed that his breakfast was carefully laid out for him. It was comprised of the finest fruits and vegetables. Since Glasorden lived in an icy city, this food seemed exotic to him. He ate it happily. When he left his room, Rose saw him.  
"Gardenia's waiting for you in the garden," she said.  
Glasorden walked outside the Gym and into the garden, where Gardenia was, indeed, awaiting him.  
"Good morning, my laurel," she said. "Close your eyes."  
He did. He saw no reason to distrust such a sweet woman and the love of his life.  
"Open your mouth," she said. He did. After a short time, he felt something small placed on his tongue.  
"Close it, my laurel," she said. When he did so, a sweet taste rushed over him. He never tasted anything like it in his life.  
"What is that, my Skitty?" he asked, opening his eyes.  
"That is a Cherrim berry, my laurel," she replied. "What to you want to do today, sweetie?"  
"Would you like to visit Eterna Forest?" Glasorden answered.  
"I love Eterna Forest!" Gardenia said. "Let's go there right away!"  
They went across the bridge. The fisherman who was angry at Glasorden on his last trip to the bridge eyed the pair with contempt. When they went in, Glasorden noticed a decrepit old building.  
"That place used to terrify me, but I feel that when I'm with you, I can do anything, my laurel," Gardenia said. She kissed her man on the cheek. She continued by describing the various types of flora in the forest to Glasorden. It began to get late.  
"We need to have dinner, my laurel," Gardenia said.  
"You're right, my Skitty," Glasorden answered. "I'm very hungry."  
They went to the same restaurant that Glasorden had gone to on his previous trip after being rescued by Staravia. Glasorden remembered his waiter.  
"Good evening, my lovebirds," the waiter said. "What would you like to eat tonight?"  
"I'd like a Cherubi salad and some Lemonade, please," Gardenia said.  
"I'd like a half-pound steak and some Soda Pop," Glasorden told the waiter.  
"I'll be right back with your orders," the kind waiter replied. He kissed Gardenia's hand and left. Shortly after, he brought out their orders and said "Bon appetit!" once more. Glasorden and Gardenia ate their dinners happily.  
"They make some fine ice cream down here!" a young, dark-haired girl said. She noticed Glasorden and Gardenia. "Have you finally found a lover, Gardenia?" she asked.  
"Well, if it isn't Candice!" Gardenia replied. "Candice, Glasorden is the sweetest, most handsome man I've ever met." She introduced Glasorden and Candice to each other. "He's also a Gym Leader, you know."  
"He is?" Candice replied. "What's his type?"  
"Ice," Glasorden answered.  
"So is mine!" Candice said. "It's such a pleasure to meet you! I hope that we get to know each other better one day!" She went back to her table.  
Eventually, dinner ended and there was a call for karaoke performances. Glasorden and Gardenia performed a karaoke rendition of the old classic "Plusle and Minun." Everyone was mesmerized by their performance. At the end, they held each other close.  
"I'm definitely coming to this restaurant again!" someone said.  
"It's getting late, my Skitty," Glasorden said.  
"We should get back to the Gym," Gardenia said. "I had such a good time with you, my laurel."  
They exchanged another kiss before going back inside the Gym. Glasorden wrote Eldritch a letter before going to bed that night. In the morning, he prepared to set off for Glacierbay City.  
"I'll miss you!" Gardenia said. "Please come back soon, my laurel."  
"I will, my Skitty," Glasorden replied. He went to Canalave City and left with Eldritch.  
It was nightfall when Glasorden got back to his port-of-call. He went to the tavern.  
"I haven't seen you this happy in ages!" Peter yelled. "Did you win the lottery?"  
"I won something even better," Glasorden told Peter. "I won the heart of the most beautiful and sweet woman in the world."  
"That's great to hear," Peter said. "Here's your hot chocolate."  
Glasorden looked over. He saw Gardenia winking at him. He smiled.  
"Hey, quit looking at me like that!" Ralph said, bringing Glasorden back to reality.  
When he went to bed that night, he smiled again. He couldn't wait to get back to Eterna City.

* * *

Roark was training at his Gym.  
"Quit acting so angry, Roark," a Junior Trainer told him.  
"Well, when you...um...take your mining hat off and get hit by a large rock, it breaks your day, okay?" Roark replied.  
"Well, I was just saying that maybe you need a little fresh air, that's all."  
Suddenly, a miner burst into the room.  
"You'll never believe this, Roark!" he said. "I was having dinner at this fancy restaurant, and they were having karaoke performances, right? Well, I saw the Eterna City Gym Leader up there dancing with some guy, and I've never seen a couple more in love! Roark, you have to eat at this restaurant!"  
"I need some time alone," Roark said before walking through a door. He sat down and cried. "What have I done?" he said. "They were made for each other and I had to get in the way because I was so selfish! I'm beyond redemption! Why couldn't I see things for what they were? This was all about...what she wanted... If the Pokémon League finds out about this, I can kiss this Gym good-bye."  
He started to write his father a letter.

Dad,

I am not proud of everything I've done, and I especially regret what happened during the past few days. Maybe I was never meant to experience true love...the sensation of being held close...warm kisses at night...a woman to help me through thick and thin. How did you ever meet Mom? Well, I hope that your life has treated you more kindly than my life has treated me. I hope to see you again soon, father.

-Roark

He put the letter in an envelope and walked to the post office.  
"What may I do for you today, handsome?" the woman behind the counter said.  
"I just want to...Would you like to go out with me tonight?"  
"I'd love to! What's that you have there?"  
"It's...nothing," Roark said, tearing the envelope. "See you later." He skipped all the way back to his Gym.


	13. Chapter 13

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER XIII

"All of the stolen Pokémon that were wrongfully taken from their loving trainers have finally been recovered. This is a very happy ending for what was otherwise a tragic story for thousands of trainers living in the cities of Pewter and Glacierbay. Now, it's time for on-the-spot weather by Helena!"  
The boy who was sitting in a chair on the far side of the Pastoria City Pokémon Center didn't really care about what was being said on the TV behind the desk. In fact, he really never cared much for news segments. He spent a lot of his time looking up to his idol, the local Gym Leader, Crasher Wake. He wanted to be just like Wake when he got older. The Pokémon NOW! magazine sitting on the desk looked interesting, so he picked it up. It was the latest issue-part 5 of an eight-part series. Fantina's image was proudly emblazoned on the cover. She looked tough, but she also looked fearsome. The boy opened the magazine and revealed an article which read thus:

GYM LEADER LOVE

Does anyone remember the Brock/Lana relationship that bloomed some time ago? Well, for you romance enthusiasts out there, more Gym Leader love is in the air-a stranger fell from the sky and stole the heart of our very own Gardenia! When asked about the situation, the Eterna Gym Leader replied, "He's so sweet and handsome...he makes me feel so confident in my battles! I don't know how I ever survived without him." When asked about the future of their relationship, she answered, "I can't tell you that! Besides, he might read this issue {smiles}." We asked her what she loved about him. She replied, "I love a man who's a little shy. A lot of men want to get all over me...but I can feel comfortable around Glasorden. Besides, how often do you meet a man so handsome?" We asked, "What does he love about you?" She blushed a little and said, "Everything. A lot of men love me...but he actually loves me for me. It makes me feel very special, and I want nothing more than to make him happy."  
Hopefully, we will find out more about our lovers soon, but in the meantime, may they have a happy relationship!

-Cowgirl Shelley  
Reporter

The boy noticed that Drifblim was the Pokémon of the week. He enjoyed it when the city's mascot, Croagunk, was made the Pokémon of the week, and he still had that issue at his house. He noticed a girl coming in the door.  
"Would you like to challenge me to a coliseum battle?" she asked the boy.  
"You're on!" he replied before chasing her up the stairs.


	14. Chapter 14

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER XIV

Glasorden watched as Mamoswine fainted.  
"My, you are a powerful Trainer!" he said. "You've earned this Aurora Badge!"  
He handed an Aurora Badge to the challenging trainer, who was still brimming with excitement.  
"Thanks!" the boy said. "I can't wait to be knocking on the doors of the Pokémon League! I wonder what the Elite Four is like."  
"They're very tough, I can assure you," Glasorden replied. "I've battled one of them before." He smiled as he thought about Lorelei and how she gave him Lapras. Glasorden didn't really care much about losing-that was just part of being a Gym Leader, and all that really mattered was how close he had come to his Pokémon after training with them for so many years. As he thought about this, the boy left and a knock on the door was heard.  
"Hurry up!" Eldritch's voice called out from the other side. "I haven't got all day!"  
That could mean only one thing-Glasorden was about to be reunited with his one true love. He smiled at the thought as he went to greet Eldritch. Having the responsibilities of training his Pokémon and running a Gym when his heart longed so deeply for Gardenia was a real burden for him. He wondered what Eldritch's love life was like, considering that he was a Sailor.  
"Are you ready to set sail or what?" Eldritch demanded.  
"I'm ready," Glasorden replied. He felt more than ready. He felt really ready.  
They got on Eldritch's ship and Eldritch gave the command to set sail. Glasorden looked upon the sea and heard Eldritch start singing, "That's the way of the Sailor, a life upon the seas, beside my trusty Shellos..." Of course, he didn't care much for Eldritch's singing.  
"What's your love life like, Eldritch?" Glasorden asked.  
"We don't get to spend much time together," Eldritch answered. "It can be difficult to balance two loves. The important thing is that I'll always be there for her and she'll always be there for me, and that's all that matters." Glasorden smiled-that was precisely how he felt about Gardenia.  
Glasorden thought more about Gardenia, and he was lost in thought when he felt the ship come to a halt.  
"Welcome back to Canalave City!" Eldritch said, escorting Glasorden off the ship. "Now, you can do...whatever it is that you're here to do."  
"Thanks again, friend," Glasorden said before leaving. He almost skipped up the path to Eterna City. He knocked when he came to the door of the Gym, even though he already felt welcome. Rose greeted him.  
"You don't have to knock, silly," she said before escorting Glasorden into the Gym. He spotted various trainers who were busy training their Pokémon.  
"Good job, Torterra," he heard a familiar voice say.  
"Good evening, my Skitty," he opened.  
"Oh, sweetie, you're back!" Gardenia said, leaving Torterra to its own business. "Oh, it gets so lonely here without you!"  
"I-," Glasorden said before Gardenia put her finger on his lips. They kissed each other passionately.  
"My heart leaps so high with joy," Glasorden said.  
"My heart leaps higher," Gardenia replied.  
"I don't think so," Glasorden responded. Gardenia giggled. They got a small dinner before going to bed. Glasorden smiled as he pulled the flower-themed blanket over his body. It felt much warmer than sleeping back at the Glacierbay Gym. He slept peacefully. In the morning, he awakened to the sunlight pouring into his window and ate his breakfast happily. When he got out of his room, he heard an alluring voice. He pursued the voice to a doorway and listened. Rose appeared.  
"Are you listening to Gardenia singing in the shower?" she opened.  
"I-wasn't-doing-anything," Glasorden replied, feeling defensive.  
"Oh, silly, I don't care about something like that!" Rose said, smiling. "She likes hot showers, you know. Personally, I think she changes the words to the songs so they're about you," she continued. "I can't imagine where she'd be without you, Glasorden."  
After a while, the shower stopped running and the singing stopped.  
"Why are you smiling like that, Rose?" Glasorden asked.  
"You'll see," Rose answered.  
"Where are my clothes?" Gardenia demanded. "Rose, did you do this?"  
"I'll get them for you, my Skitty," Glasorden called through the door.  
"Oh, thank you, my laurel," Gardenia replied.  
"Where are they, Rose?" Glasorden asked the girl.  
"Aww, you were more fun in that desert," Rose said. "They're in Gardenia's room."  
She ran to fetch them, then she handed them to Glasorden's waiting hand. He opened the door carefully and stuck his hand in. He felt Gardenia's clothes vanish from his hand, then she came out after a while. She was as clean and beautiful as ever.  
"Thank you so much, my laurel," Gardenia said. "What would I do without you? Anyway, have you ever made Poffin?"  
"What is Poffin?" Glasorden asked.  
"Oh, right, you're from far away," Gardenia said. "It's a Hearthome specialty made from Berries. I've never made Poffin, either. It should be fun! I have plenty of Berries, so let's go make some!"  
"Sounds fine by me," Glasorden replied.  
They took the trail to Hearthome City, where a kind Fisherman pointed out the way to the Poffin House. The lovers each dropped one Berry into the special Poffin batter, then they went to work. Neither one of them was very good at Poffin-making, and they made a big mess all over the place. They laughed as the room filled with spilled Poffin batter. They made several Poffins, but none of them were of good quality.  
"Oh, come on, Mamoswine," Glasorden said. "Try one!"  
Mamoswine shook his head.  
"Oh, my!" the Poffin lady said. "You two made a real mess in here! Don't worry, my darlings! We'll have it all fixed up in no time!"  
"Thanks," Glasorden said. "I think I've had my fill of Poffin-making for now."  
"Okay, my laurel," Gardenia replied. "My arm's quite tired, too. Let's go to the beach!"  
When they left the Poffin House, Glasorden noticed an imposing and fearsome woman. She wore a long, purple dress and was accompanied by a Drifblim.  
"Who is that?" Glasorden asked Gardenia.  
"That's Fantina," Gardenia replied. "She's a little stuck-up, but she's friendly once you get to know her."  
They went to the beach, relaxed for a little while, and frolicked in the sea.  
"You look so handsome in your swim trunks," Gardenia said.  
"You look so stunning in your swimsuit," Glasorden replied.  
"Oh, you silly!" Gardenia said, splashing water on Glasorden.  
"I can't believe that I failed to appreciate the true beauty of the world for so long because I was such a hot-blooded battling trainer," Glasorden mused.  
"Use your Absorb attack, Shroomish!" a trainer who was training his Pokémon said.  
Gardenia leaped out of the water and onto Shroomish, who was crushed by her embrace. She was overjoyed.  
"Who are you?" the boy asked. "Please don't hurt my Shroomish!"  
"He's so cute!" Gardenia cried.

They went back to the Eterna Gym after a day of love and excitement.  
"I guess it's time to say good night," Glasorden said. "See you tomorrow, my Skitty."  
He began to walk back to his room.  
"Where are you going, sweetie?" Gardenia said, stopping him.  
"I thought you were ready for bed," Glasorden replied.  
"I am," Gardenia said. "With you."  
Glasorden's heart leaped with joy as he wondered whether he heard Gardenia correctly. When he got to Gardenia's room, he noticed that her bed was larger than before with a cute flower design and extra-plush foam mattress and pillows. He began to climb into it. Gardenia climbed into the other side. He admired her relaxed, beautiful body.  
"I love everything about you, my Skitty," Glasorden said to his lover.  
"Including my tongue," Gardenia replied.  
"What?" Glasorden said.  
"You can't hide anything from me, my laurel!" Gardenia said, caressing him with her hand. "That's okay, sweetie. You can stare at any part of my body you like. I'm all yours, my laurel, body, mind, heart, and soul."  
"I'm all yours, too, my Skitty," Glasorden replied.  
"You're too sweet," Gardenia said lovingly. "Would you like to hear about how I came to be here?"  
"I'd love to," Glasorden answered.  
"Okay, then, sweetie," Gardenia said. She held Glasorden's body close to hers as she began to tell her story.


	15. Chapter 15

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER XV

"Dad says that I was born on a beautiful early spring day. When the Chansey delivered me from Mom and the doctor said that I was a girl, Dad asked Mom, 'What should we name her, darling?' Then she saw this absolutely beautiful Gardenia flower next to her bed and was so taken by it that she said, 'Gardenia.' Dad thought that was such a nice name, and so they named me Gardenia.  
"One day, I was walking down the cobble path leading past our house when I spotted a Budew! It was so cute, my laurel! I carried it all the way back to my house and showed it to Dad. He said that he wasn't sure that Budew was a good starter Pokémon, but I begged him and begged him to let me keep her and he did! I was so happy that day!  
"I took my sweet Budew outside, and I was playing with it when I saw this boy in a red jacket come around the corner.  
"'Hi!' I said to the boy.  
"'Who are you?' he answered.  
"'I'm Gardenia, and this Budew is my best friend!' I said.  
"'You're friends with a Grass-type Pokémon?' he said. 'Grass-types stink. Fire-types rule! My name's Terrell, and I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!'  
"'I've never battled anyone before...' I replied.  
"'No problem,' he said. 'I'd win anyway! Go, Growlithe!'  
"'Go, Budew!' I cried.  
"We sent out our Pokémon. I didn't know what would happen, but Terrell was just standing there, smiling.  
"'Use your Fire Spin attack!' he said. 'We'll end this battle before it even starts!'  
"'Get out of the way, sweetie!' I cried.  
"Budew jumped out of the way of the pursuing flames.  
"'Use your Magical Leaf attack!' I said to Budew.  
"Budew used Magical Leaf, but before the attack could strike, Terrell told Growlithe to use Ember. It fainted Budew in one strike. I ran home crying.  
"'Come back when you can actually fight!' Terrell yelled after me.  
"When I showed Budew to Dad, he pulled me aside and said, 'You can't win every battle, sweetie. Your Budew's okay-it's just fainted. We'll have it better in no time!'  
"He took Budew to be fully healed. When he brought her back, I gave him a big hug.  
"'You run along and play,' he said.  
"I woke up one morning and saw something green on Mom's lap.  
"'What's that, Mommy?' I asked her.  
"'Just something I'm working on,' she replied. 'Go on and play.'  
"When I went outside, I noticed this strange tree. There was a Cherubi hanging from it. It was so precious! I couldn't help but pick it off the tree.  
"'Do you think I should catch it?' I asked Budew.  
"When Budew squeaked her approval, I threw a Poké Ball at the cute little thing. I was so excited to catch my second Pokémon! I didn't have much time to enjoy it, though, before Terrell showed up again.  
"'Are your Pokémon ready for another pounding?' he asked.  
"'I've been training hard since our last battle!' I told him. 'It won't be so easy this time!'  
"'Blah, blah, blah,' he replied. 'You're still just a weak Grass-type trainer. Go, Slugma!'  
"I sent out the Cherubi I just caught.  
"'Use your Magical Leaf attack!' I cried out to Cherubi.  
"The attack hit Slugma.  
"'Use Ember on Cherubi, Slugma!' Terrell yelled.  
"Slugma didn't even come close to hitting Cherubi.  
"'Use Tackle and follow that up with another Ember attack!' Terrell said.  
"Tackle missed, but Ember KO'd Cherubi in one hit. I told Cherubi that it would be okay and sent out Budew.  
"'You're sending out that wimp again?' Terrell retorted. 'This is too easy!'  
"'Use Magical Leaf!' I said to Budew.  
"Budew KO'd Slugma.  
"'Are you okay, Slugma?' Terrell asked Slugma. 'That's okay-I haven't even gotten warmed up yet!'  
"He sent out Growlithe again.  
"'Use Tackle and follow that up with Ember!' he said to Growlithe.  
"'Use Grass Knot!' I called out to Budew.  
"Grass Knot was successful, but Growlithe didn't even appear fazed. It started to rain.  
"'Use your Weather Ball attack!' I said to Budew.  
"A big ball of water appeared and struck Growlithe with full force! Growlithe fainted! It was my first victory ever, my laurel!  
"'Budew can't learn Weather Ball!' Terrell protested. 'That's not fair!'  
"He ran back home, and I decided to do the same. When I went in, I noticed that Mom was holding her green cloth in front of her.  
"'Come here, my darling,' she said.  
"When I did, she pulled the cloth over my head. I discovered that it was a cape.  
"'How do I look?' I asked her, showing it off.  
"'You look lovely, my precious daughter,' she said before gently sliding an orchid through my hair. 'Be proud of who you are because no one else can do it for you. Run along and play now, my darling.'  
"I ran to our garden and watered the flowers before I noticed some woods.  
"'I wonder what's in there,' I said to Budew.  
"We went into the woods, but when I tried to go home, I couldn't! I was totally lost!"


	16. Chapter 16

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER XVI

"Are you getting sleepy, my laurel? Should I continue the story some other night?"  
"No, please continue, my Skitty," Glasorden said to Gardenia. His hand was gliding along her soft skin and voluptuous curves. They were looking into each other's eyes. Glasorden enjoyed listening to Gardenia's story told in her own sweet voice.  
"Okay, my laurel," Gardenia replied. "I was wandering through the woods, hoping to find an exit or, at the very least, another person. Everything seems so big and scary when you're such a little girl!"  
Glasorden noticed the tightening of her grip upon him and the escalating sense of despair in her voice. He gently caressed her cheek, trying to comfort her.  
"Anyway, after a while, I didn't find anyone, so I decided to stop and make camp.  
"'Please eat this, Budew,' I said to Budew, holding some food I gathered from a nearby tree in front of her. 'I know it's not much, but it'll have to do until we get out of here.'  
"Not long after Budew, Cherubi, and I nourished ourselves with whatever food we could find, I heard the rustling of leaves behind me. I was afraid that it was a person or Pokémon wishing to do us harm, but when I turned around, I saw a Turtwig with a big smile on its face!  
"'Oh, a Turtwig's come to keep me company!' I cried before giving the little cutie a hug. It gave me a cry of approval, and we were friends ever since.  
"After a little more camping, I said, 'Do you think we should get some sleep now?' Budew, Cherubi, and Turtwig all agreed, and we all slept as comfortably as we could until it was morning again. It was a little cold that night. As my cape kept me warm, it made me miss Mom, who sewed love into every stitch, and I cried.  
"On the next morning, I walked around some more and noticed a light. When I got close, it turned out to be an exit! I was so overjoyed when I ran out of the woods and into a grassy field with a stream going through it. On top of that, Budew evolved into Roselia! I asked another trainer how to get home. She said that she didn't know before challenging me to a friendly battle. When I won, she asked me whether I ever considered being a traveling trainer. I told her that I didn't think that I was ready yet, but she gave me the confidence I needed and pointed me to a nearby town. I thanked her and wrote a letter to Mom, then I embarked on a great Pokémon adventure.

"A few years later, I came across a city covered in snow.  
"'It's freezing here,' I said to Cherubi.  
"I didn't get very far before I saw a whole bunch of men gathered together.  
"'Hello,' one of them said. 'Want to have some fun, babycakes?'  
"I tried to stop them, but I wasn't able to defeat the ringleader. I had no choice but to run away.  
"'Hey, come back!' one of them called out to me. 'This party's just getting started!'  
"I ran until I saw a ship. It looked like the only means of escape, so I climbed aboard and hid somewhere with my Pokémon.  
"'I hope we're safe, Roselia,' I said.  
"Eventually, the ship pushed off and a woman spotted me.  
"'Hey, captain!' she yelled. 'Look what we have here!'  
"A whole bunch of other Sailors appeared.  
"'We have a stowaway on board, eh?' the one who looked like the captain said. 'What brought you aboard our ship? Were you looking for a free ride? Or perhaps you were trying to steal some of our cargo!'  
"'It's not like that at all, sir!' I pleaded. 'I was-'  
"'I've heard enough of your stories,' the captain said.  
"'What should we do with her?' the woman who spotted me said. 'Should we detain her until we reach land?'  
"'No, that won't be necessary,' the captain replied. 'We'll be going about this the old-fashioned way. You!' He pointed to one of the Sailors. 'Take our uninvited guest to the prison below deck and make sure she stays there.'  
"'Yes, sir!' the Sailor replied before escorting me below deck.  
"'What's going to happen to me?' I asked him.  
"'They intend to cut off every last one of your fingers,' he replied."  
"That's terrible!" Glasorden protested as one of his hands played with one of Gardenia's intact sets of five fingers. "What happened?"  
"Let me finish the story, my laurel! Anyway, I protested, 'No, they couldn't!'  
"'I have no intention of letting them,' the kind Sailor said, 'but you'll have to do as I say.'  
"'Thank you so much, sir!' I said.  
"'Just call me Eldritch,' the Sailor replied.

"He hid me somewhere and told me to stay there until he got back. When we hit land, he escorted me off the ship. I thanked him and left. Eventually, I reached a mining town. Someone grabbed me.  
"'Want to have a good time?' a male voice said.  
"'Let her go, Fred,' another male voice said.  
"He did. When I turned around, I saw a red-haired man. I started walking up to him.  
"'H-hello,' he stammered.  
"I wanted to thank him, but before I could finish talking, he ran away from me! I decided to let it go and continued on my way.  
"I eventually came to a beautiful city near a beautiful forest.  
"'Isn't this place great?' I said to Roselia. 'I'd like to stay here for a while.'  
"I decided to check out the Gym. The Gym Leader asked me to show him my fighting skills. When I did, he said that he was impressed and offered me the Gym. I accepted the offer because it was such a great Gym in such a great location. I guess my judgment was correct because Roselia evolved soon after! I've been training here for years ever since.  
"One day, I was walking through Eterna Forest when I suddenly heard the sound of someone crying. I decided to investigate and found a girl who said that she was lost in the forest. She told me that her name was Rose and she was a Grass-type trainer. When I said that I ran a Grass-type Gym, she decided to train with me.  
"Rose went out to the garden one day to water the flowers. Just after she left, I decided to take a look at it myself. As I rounded a corner, however, I heard a sound.  
"It was the sweetest voice I ever heard."

"Your life sounds like quite the adventure, my Skitty," Glasorden said.  
"Yes, but it seems like nothing now that I have you, my laurel," Gardenia replied.  
They exchanged a goodnight kiss before going to sleep.

Glasorden woke up in the middle of the night. He thought he could hear a Pokémon battle raging in the distance. It reminded him of what his life used to be like. He thought about how he much preferred his present life as he gazed upon the beautiful, sleeping Gardenia. He lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered "I will always be there for you, my Skitty" before gently pushing her hair back and giving her a light kiss on the cheek. After that, he went right to sleep.

* * *

A teenage Gardenia came upon a city that she'd never visited before. "I wonder what new faces we'll meet here, my cute little Cherubi," she said to Cherubi, who was bouncing happily beside her. A sweet scent entered their noses.  
"I've got to find out where that scent's coming from!" Gardenia said before taking off, cape flying behind her. Cherubi struggled to keep up with its Trainer. The two of them came upon a Grass-type Pokémon Gym.  
"Let's go inside, Cherubi," Gardenia said.  
Cherubi assented. They went through the front door. A Tangrowth greeted them.  
"Oh, it's Tangrowth!" Gardenia said, her eyes widening. "Hello there, cutie pie! How are you today?"  
"I see that you admire my Pokémon a great deal," a man said. "We've trained together for a long time. I met him while he was still a Tangela. I was a little boy back then. It's been so long..."  
"Yes, your Tangrowth is SOOOO adorable!" Gardenia replied. "Who are you?"  
"I'm the Gym Leader of this city, young lady," the man said. "My name's Florence. It's a pleasure to meet you. All my life, I've been fascinated by the mysteries of the Grass type. I proudly train and battle with Grass-type Pokémon."  
"I love Grass-types!" Gardenia said. "It's such an honor to meet a Grass-type Gym Leader! I'm Gardenia."  
"Gardenia..." Florence replied. "I like that name. It would be my pleasure to battle you, young lady. Would you accept my challenge?"  
"Of course!" Gardenia said. "My Pokémon and I love battling together! Don't we, Cherubi?"  
Cherubi nodded in agreement.  
"What are we waiting for, then?" Florence said. "Let's get started!"

Tangrowth fell to the ground.  
"That was exciting!" Florence said. "I hardly ever feel this way after a battle! I'm proud to say that you beat me at my own game, young lady! Take this Badge!"  
He tossed a Gym Badge to Gardenia, which she caught. "We did it, Roselia!" she said.  
Roselia spun around happily.  
"So young and beautiful, yet so powerful," Florence said.  
"That's very sweet," Gardenia replied.  
Florence laughed. "I'm sure that any lover would be quite pleased to be in your company," he said.  
"Oh, I don't need a man in my life when I have Grass-type Pokémon!" Gardenia said before leaving the Gym. She was excited after her recent Gym Battle, and she smiled as she thought about Florence and his Pokémon.


	17. Chapter 17

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER XVII

On the next morning, Glasorden left Gardenia once again with a heavy heart. He knew that even though his body would be in Glacierbay City, his heart would always be right there with Gardenia-that was where he belonged, where he longed so desperately to be. When he looked back, he noticed Gardenia blowing him a kiss.  
When he got back on the ship with Eldritch, he realized that he had some important questions.  
"Hey, Eldritch!" Glasorden opened.  
"Yeah?" Eldritch replied.  
"Do you remember being a Sailor before you got your own ship?" Glasorden said.  
"I don't talk about that a great deal," Eldritch said. "Why do you ask?"  
"Do you remember a young girl with reddish blonde hair?" Glasorden inquired of Eldritch.  
"Yes, I do," Eldritch said. "There was such a girl on the ship that I worked on. I had to detain her and then bring her out to be punished. I knew what my duty was, but she seemed so innocent...and honest...I couldn't bring myself to let her fingers get cut off! How did you know about this?"  
"I'm desperately in love with that girl," Glasorden replied. "I hope to marry her one day."  
"You're going to marry her?" Eldritch said. "It really is a small world after all! You must be one lucky guy!"  
"Yes," Glasorden said. "Anyway, thanks for saving my precious Gardenia."  
Eldritch could do nothing but smile.

After a while, he went back to the Eterna Gym. When he got there, he embraced Gardenia once again. They went to bed, told each other romantic things, kissed, and went to sleep. The next day, they went back to the restaurant that Glasorden remembered visiting the day after his shipwreck. Something about it was different this time, though.  
Roark was chowing down on his favorite salami sandwich. Strangely, a woman was sitting with him.  
"Do you have a girlfriend, Roark?" Gardenia asked him.  
Roark looked up. He blushed-apparently, he was still trying to take in the fact that Glasorden and Gardenia happened to go to the same restaurant for lunch.  
"Yes," he said. "I intend to marry her tomorrow."  
"Oh, right!" Gardenia replied, turning to Glasorden. "We still have to get married! Are we going to do it soon, my laurel?"  
Glasorden smiled. He looked forward to marrying the owner of the eyes that were now gazing at him lovingly from across the table.  
Afterwards, they started to eat. Sometimes, Gardenia would lick her lips while Glasorden was looking. He grinned whenever this happened. All he thought about at that point was how much he loved her and how he desired to make it known to her that all he wanted was to make her happy. He continued to admire her from across the table. Never before had he ever seen a woman so beautiful...or compassionate...  
When they got back to the Gym, Gardenia said to Glasorden, "I have a surprise for you. Come this way."  
He followed her to a door. When she opened it, his gaze was met by a room covered in snow and ice.  
"Now, you have a place where you can raise your Pokémon right here in Eterna City, my laurel," Gardenia said to Glasorden.  
"You couldn't have gotten me a better gift," Glasorden replied. "I have a surprise for you, too, my Skitty."  
With that, he pulled out a green Pokétch that was clearly Grass-type-themed with pictures of Grass-type Pokémon set in the display.  
"I couldn't be any happier than I am right now!" Gardenia exclaimed.  
"Oh, really?" Glasorden replied, pulling out another gift. Gardenia's eyes fell upon a Poké Ball.  
"It's...a Poké Ball," Gardenia said.  
"Not just any Poké Ball," Glasorden told Gardenia. "Open it."  
When she did, she saw Shroomish emerge from the ball. Not long after, she embraced the Shroomish in a crushing hug. When she stopped, she looked at Glasorden again.  
"That was so sweet, my laurel!" she said. "How did you know?"  
"Sometimes, you just know these things," Glasorden replied.  
"You're such a sweetie," Gardenia said before pulling Glasorden's head into a kiss.  
That night, Glasorden wrote a letter to Michel making him the new Gym Leader. Although he thought that his Junior Trainers and the people at the bar might find him crazy, he didn't care as long as he had Gardenia. He smiled as the Staraptor carrying his letter took his past life with it before going back into the Eterna Gym.

Glasorden found himself in Gardenia's room one night. He knew what he had to do, but he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to do it. It seemed like his most difficult challenge yet.  
As Glasorden got down on his knees, Gardenia's eyes followed him downward. He looked into them. They looked back lovingly. He forced the words in his throat to come out as he tried to fight his fear.  
"The first time I met you, you took my breath away. Never in my life have I seen another woman as beautiful or sweet as you. I relish every moment when you're in my arms and cherish every kiss we share. I want nothing more than to keep you safe, happy, and warm at night. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I hope you feel the same way. Gardenia, will you marry me?"  
As he held out Gardenia's engagement ring, his hand trembled slightly. He looked into Gardenia's eyes and thought that even though he would be heartbroken if she turned him away, there was no way in which he could possibly earn the heart of such a gorgeous, caring woman. Indeed, he wasn't good enough for her-she deserved someone better, someone who was more handsome and capable of love, not to mention that he could speak English with no accent. He blew it. He might as well just-  
"Glasorden, I accept."  
After Glasorden gave Gardenia her engagement ring, they both unleashed the excitement that they were trying so hard to repress in a passionate kiss. To Glasorden, no kiss was ever sweeter, wetter, or fuller of love. They both went to bed joyfully that night.


	18. Chapter 18

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER XVIII

Glasorden was nervous as he stood at the altar. It was finally the day...he was about to profess his love to the woman who stole his heart the first time he laid eyes on her...the woman who kept him warm at night...the woman who continued to impress him with her exceptional beauty and charm. She was going to be his to love and cherish forever. He gazed up at the ceiling of the Foreign Building, a temple dedicated to the omnipresent spirit that bound people and Pokémon together-it was truly an impressive vista.  
Before long, Glasorden saw Gardenia standing at the other end of the carpet, escorted by both her parents. He recognized Dirk holding her right hand. Although Gardenia's mother's emotions were hard to make out, Dirk was unmistakably grinning from ear to ear. Gardenia's slow walk to the altar appeared to take forever, and Glasorden became more and more nervous. When Gardenia stopped next to her true love, he could only smile at her. She smiled back.  
The minister began to read ancient Pokémon texts, then the two lovers declared their love for each other. The minister turned to Glasorden.  
"Glasorden, do you promise to love Gardenia with all your heart and take her as your wife?" he asked him.  
"I do," Glasorden replied.  
"Gardenia, do you promise to love Glasorden with all your heart and take him as your husband?" the minister asked Gardenia.  
"I do," Gardenia said.  
"By the divine providence of the Original One who governs all things and in the name of the spirit that keeps people and Pokémon living in companionship and harmony, I now pronounce Glasorden and Gardenia husband and wife."  
They kissed. As they did so, tears fell down the faces of both Glasorden's and Gardenia's parents. They had never seen their children so happy before in their lives. After their kiss, Glasorden had a unshakeable feeling that he saw a Gastly winking at him.  
"In all my years of performing marriages, I have never seen a couple quite like this one," the minister mused.  
After a short time, the crowd thinned and Glasorden's and Gardenia's parents introduced themselves to one another.  
"Nice to meet you! I'm Asbjørn and this is my wife Maiken," Glasorden's father said to Gardenia's parents.  
"My name's Dirk and this is Brandy," Dirk replied.  
Glasorden smiled as he watched this friendly, casual interaction. He felt a tap on his shoulder.  
"Come on, my laurel!" Gardenia said. "We can't be late for the reception!"  
"I haven't forgotten, my Skitty," Glasorden said. "Or should I say, my wife."  
Gardenia giggled. The two of them skipped all the way to the reception, being filled to the brim with joy at the thought of being married.


	19. Chapter 19

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER XIX

Glasorden found himself in an incredibly fancy restaurant near the Foreign Building. He never had the taste for this kind of establishment-he generally preferred casual dining. He looked to his left and gazed upon his one true love sitting next to him.  
"You look absolutely ravishing, my Skitty," Glasorden said to Gardenia.  
"Oh, stop it," she replied, but she couldn't suppress a giggle.  
"I'm glad our newlyweds are having a good time!" Dirk said, smiling. "I never dreamed that I'd have a foreigner for an in-law!"  
"He may be foreign, but I know him better than anyone else ever could," Gardenia said. She was also smiling. She turned to her lover, who smiled upon hearing her comment.  
"We're so happy for you, my darling," Brandy said. "Glasorden seems pretty charming." She smiled at him.  
"He's very sweet," Gardenia replied. She caressed Glasorden's cheek.  
"This reminds me of the time when I married Maiken," Asbjørn added. "She hasn't grown any less beautiful ever since that fateful day."Maiken smiled before saying, "We're so happy for the two of you. You have our blessings."  
"Oh, thank you, Maiken," Gardenia said.  
"I'm throwing my blessings in there, don't forget!" Dirk replied. "The Original One itself couldn't give you a better coupling! Anyway, where's our food? I'm starving!"  
Before long, the servers came bearing the food for everyone at the table. Glasorden ate his dinner happily. The food was good, and eating alongside Gardenia only made him feel all the better. When dinner was finished, everyone dug into the giant cake baked especially for the occasion, which was made from a special recipe involving Moomoo Milk and had cute images of Aurora Badges and Forest Badges baked right into the icing. The entire congregation wasn't able to finish the cake-Glasorden and Gardenia arranged for the remainder to be sent straight to the Eterna Gym.  
"Rose will be very happy," Gardenia said to Glasorden. "She loves cake."  
The couple walked onto the dance floor. Glasorden was approached by Brandy.  
"Want to dance, handsome?" Brandy said.  
"Okay," Glasorden replied.  
They danced. Glasorden noticed that Gardenia was dancing with Asbjørn several couples away. Everyone looked content.  
"My daughter is very precious to me, Glasorden," Brandy said to her dance partner.  
"You don't have to worry," he assured her. "I would never let anyone touch a hair on her head."  
"Thank you," Brandy replied.  
After dancing with Brandy, Glasorden danced with Rose. They both fondly remembered the adventures they shared.  
"You two are simply meant to be together," Rose said to Glasorden. "Gardenia's very happy, and that makes me happy."  
Rose kissed Glasorden on the cheek. He hoped that Gardenia wouldn't be offended at the sight of someone else kissing her man.  
After a while, the dancing ended and it was time to go home.  
"We better hurry back to Farlig Town," Maiken said to Glasorden and Gardenia. "It's a long trip! Take care, my darlings!"  
"Speaking of which, Brandy and I better get back to our house as well," Dirk added. "Besides, I can't miss my favorite TV show!"  
Brandy gave Dirk a look, wondering how he could possibly be thinking about TV at a time like this.  
When Glasorden and Gardenia were alone together, Gardenia said, "I saw Rose give you that kiss. She really looks up to you, my laurel."  
"She certainly does," Glasorden added. He thought about how her attitude toward him really changed since their first meeting.  
"We need to go on our honeymoon," Gardenia said. "Where do you want to go?"  
"I know the perfect place, my Skitty," Glasorden replied, smiling.

Glasorden and Gardenia were sitting alone on a deck at a resort island. They watched the waves gently lapping the shoreline. Glasorden admired the way the sunset lit up Gardenia's beautiful face. There was nothing he'd rather do except spend these precious moments with her. He felt as if she was feeling the same way about him.  
"I remember visiting a beach like this when I was a little girl," Gardenia opened. "It was so much different back then...having to battle other trainers and all. It's so much more enjoyable when one can sit back and take in the beautiful scenery, my laurel."  
"That's true, my Skitty," Glasorden replied.  
"Your love for me...makes me cherish every moment of every day," Gardenia said as they began to get lost in each other's eyes. "Especially when I'm with you, my laurel. I never felt anything like this before I met you."  
They got lost in each other's kiss. After that, Glasorden gave Gardenia's navel a friendly poke.  
"That tickles!" Gardenia said, giggling. "You don't stop at anything to make me feel special, do you, my laurel?"  
"That's only because you are special, my Skitty," Glasorden replied, smiling. "I want you to know how special you are each and every day."  
"You're special, too, my laurel," Gardenia said to Glasorden. She was caressing his cheek. "Not to mention exceptionally handsome." She shifted her torso in a provocative manner.  
After that, the couple drank some more Lemonade and watched as the twilight faded. They went to bed and eagerly anticipated what would happen the next day.

Glasorden carefully laid Gardenia on the bed. He wanted to let her know what she meant to him as they looked into each other's eyes-each one could sense the other's passion. After Glasorden undressed himself and teasingly removed Gardenia's clothes, they made love. Gardenia's joy was inexpressible-someone was making love to her, but she was actually enjoying it...and it felt very special. After their throes of passion, they both noticed a small stain of blood on the bed. They smiled.  
"May we do this again tomorrow night, my laurel?" Gardenia said to Glasorden as they began to go to sleep.  
"We can do it as often as you like, my Skitty," Glasorden replied.  
After a kiss, they fell asleep. It was one of the best sleeping experiences they ever had.


	20. Chapter 20

DISCLAMER:Cherubi and I do not own Pokemon, and the OC's are Cherubi's.

* * *

CHAPTER XX

After spending a few days on their honeymoon, Glasorden and Gardenia finally returned to the Eterna Gym. They turned to face the kind captain of the ship that they just stepped off of.  
"Thank you, Mr. Briney!" Gardenia said to him.  
"No problem," Mr. Briney replied with a smile.  
It wasn't long before the two of them saw Byron again.  
"Hope you had a good honeymoon," he said. "You know, it's not every day that a foreigner lands on our shores, let alone steals the heart of one of our own Gym Leaders. It's as if the Original One intended for this to happen."  
Glasorden wasn't sure that he thought of it that way before. Perhaps everything that happened up to this point was somehow meant to be...the storm...Julia's death...his union with the woman who continued to stand beside him...he continued to play around with the idea in his mind.  
"Thanks, Byron," Glasorden said to Byron.  
"What did I say?" Byron replied.

When they got back to the Eterna Gym, Rose greeted them.  
"Did you do it?" she asked Glasorden.  
Knowing what Rose meant, he replied, "What happens in our bed is strictly between Gardenia and me." The two lovers smiled as Rose said, "Aww..."  
"That's Rose in a nutshell, isn't it, my laurel?" Gardenia asked her man.  
"That's true, my Skitty," Glasorden said.  
He noticed that none of the wedding cake from the other day remained.  
"Rose must've eaten the last of it," he thought to himself.  
As Glasorden trained his Pokémon in the special training area that Gardenia set aside for him, someone knocked on the door. Rose opened it to reveal Professor Oak.  
"Well, if it isn't my visitor from the other day!" he said. "So much has changed since then! You're married now?"  
"Yes," Glasorden replied. "I couldn't be any happier."  
"That's good to hear!" Professor Oak said. "I just came to see how our new couple is doing and give the two of you my blessings. Gym Leader couples get famous pretty quickly around these parts!"  
Glasorden noticed a bunch of Tauros behind the kind professor.  
"What are you doing with all those Tauros?" he asked Professor Oak.  
"I'm raising them for an associate!" Professor Oak replied. "He's traveling, just like you used to! He's also quite the trainer, if I do say so myself."  
Glasorden thought about how he used to love traveling, seeing new places, and fighting new battles. Being in love was so much different.  
"In any case, I just got news that there's a region somewhere that has a whole lot of unregistered Pokémon species!" the professor continued. "This is exciting news! I must go there right away!"  
Glasorden and Gardenia watched Professor Oak set off once more.  
"He's quite the busy researcher, isn't he, my laurel?" Gardenia asked.  
"He certainly is, my Skitty," Glasorden said to her.  
They went back into the Gym to train their Pokémon some more. After a while, they both went to their bedroom. A sweet and arousing scent entered Glasorden's nose.  
"I decided to rearrange the flowers in here to set the mood," Gardenia said. "Do you like it, my laurel?"  
"I love it, my Skitty," Glasorden replied.  
He turned on some soft music before getting into his night clothes. When he turned around, Gardenia was in a green flowing nightgown-she looked absolutely gorgeous. As they held each other close, they looked into each other's eyes. As he gently caressed Gardenia's body, he could feel her caressing him in much the same way.  
"You make me feel like a woman," she said softly.  
"I feel absolutely wonderful, my Skitty," he replied. "Nothing else could ever make me feel this way."  
"How much do you love me?" she asked, continuing to tease him.  
"My love for you is greater than what the vast seas can contain, my sweet Skitty," he said, teasing her.  
"I love you even more, my laurel," Gardenia said. "No one could ever love anyone as much as I love you."  
They kissed, then Glasorden turned off the music and they went to bed.  
"Good night, my laurel," Gardenia said.  
"Sweet dreams, my Skitty," Glasorden replied.

**FIN**


End file.
